The Indian artillery too responded likewise, giving some rest to the guns which had been booming almost continuously for almost two months now. In Kargil and Batalik, though there was some intermittent shelling from both sides, it was nothing compared to the constant shelling and firing so far.

However, field commanders here said that it could well be the lull before the storm. "Though we are taking it a little easy in arty firing, it does not mean that we are not alert. We are just waiting and watching," said an officer.There was almost no infantry action either, in continuance with the approach of giving the Pakistani intruders a chance to flee. "There is nothing better than their vacating our territory without any loss of life from our side," the officer added. "In fact, even the air strikes werekept to a minimum."

"It could also mean that we are approaching the end of this war, but we cannot be sure unless we see positive signs of the intruders vacating and crossing the LoC back into Pakistan."