According to agency reports, Fernandes said no timeframe could be envisaged for clearing the entire area. He, however, added that the Government wants to do it soon as Indian troops are pushing back the intruders steadily and regaining control of the posts one by one.

He said the Cabinet committee on security, which met on Friday night to review the Kargil situation would adopt a strategy on the ongoing operation in Kargil after taking all aspects into consideration.

Senior Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Pranab Mukherjee hasasked the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre not to take any steps that would allow a third-party intervention in the ongoing Kargil conflict.

Continuing with their efforts to flush out intruders, Indian Air Force planes carried out effective strikes on Friday and Saturday on an enemy camp in the Muntho Dhalo area and elsewhere in Drass and Mushkoh valley as troops continued to pound at positions held by infiltrators with artillery fire.

Army spokesman colonel Bikram Singh said at a briefing here on Saturday that all positions are being softened and they will be evicted. He said five Indian soldiers were killed and 23 injured in the operation and among those laying down their lives on Friday was Captain Aditya Mishra of the Corps of Signals. So far, 173 Indian soldiers have been killed and 360 wounded while nine are missing.

Col Singh said 379 Pakistani Army troops have been killed in the conflict, four since Friday. An army assessment showed that 70 of them were from the 4 northern lightinfantry who are in pockets of intrusion in the Batalik sector.

As a result of the heavy casualties, the Pakistan Army was readying a battalion to replace 4 northern light infantry, Singh said.

He added that reliable intelligence reports had revealed that the morale was very low among the Pakistan army troops and incentives were being offered to motivate them.

Captain DN Ganesh, joint director of operations, said while reconnaissance and Air Defence missions were carried out all over Kargil sector, air attacks were carried out in Drass and Mushkoh valley and Muntho Dhalo areas in the face of surface to Air missiles by Pakistan.

He said that the attack techniques developed by western Air command had proved to be very effective and the fighters were adopting the tactics to press home the strikes with effectiveness.

The IAF had reduced a large enemy camp at Muntho Dhalo to rubble on June 17, but reconnaissance missions over the last few days revealed that another supply camp had been established inthe same area, he said. This camp was attacked on Saturday and initial reports were promising, the group captain added.

Asked about the achievements of the IAF which completed one month of Air strikes on Saturday, he said the results of the operations should be understood in the context of the terrain where they were taking place.