For the first time in 11 days, no air strikes were carried out on the heights occupied by the intruders, but this was because the army plans for the day did not envisage attacks by the IAF fighter planes and helicopter gunships.

Meanwhile, President KR Narayanan on Saturday accused Pakistan of spreading "disinformation" and causing "deception" by saying that the line of control (LoC) was vague and had no sanctity and said such a remark was tantamount to "hoodwinking" the whole world. "It has been said that the LoC is vague, it has no sanctity, it is not defined. This is disinformation and deception practised on the whole world," Narayanan said inaugurating the birth centenary of late field marshal KM Cariappa at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

"There is no ambiguityregarding LoC. To be told that there is no such line is hoodwinking the whole world," he said in his first remarks on the developments in Kargil sector where Indian armed forces are engaged in an operation to flush out Pakistan-backed infiltrators.

Stating that "we are fighting a war-like situation in Kargil and Drass to defend our country," the President said there was no alternative but to defend this area and try to regain it.

He lauded the acts of bravery and sacrifice by Indian troops "in this war," which he said "has been imposed on us".

On whether the Kargil sector had been barred for journalists because a major assault was expected, brigadier Mohan Bhandari, deputy director of military operations, said he was not aware of any such ban. He said according to his information the Srinagar-Kargil highway was open to civilians.

However, a Srinagar report said mediapersons had been banned from the sector because of `operational reasons.' "I think its your guess, Bhandari said when asked if a majorattack had been planned by the army.

Bhandari said the number of intruders killed was still being assessed by the army. While the army has been maintaining that 400 intruders have been eliminated, a senior officer in Srinagar said on Saturday that 200 had been killed so far. The army said it had pushed back the armed intruders after fierce fighting in the Batalik-Yaldoh sector and the troops were in a strong position in Turtuk-Chorbat La.

"The ground forces are now in the process of consolidating their recent gains," Bhandari said. He said reliable intelligence inputs indicated that there was growing disgruntlement among the infiltrators and they were showing their willingness to surrender positions because of severe logistic problems.

Bhandari produced before the newspersons the documents found on the bodies of three Pakistan army regulars who were killed in operations in the Batalik-Yaldoh sector on Thursday-Friday. Their bodies, at present in Srinagar, will be handed over to the Pakistanis in Kargilsector after the procedural modalities are carried out, Bhandari said.

The Indian army had told the Pakistan army general headquarters in Rawalpindi that they had the bodies of three of their soldiers.

The documents of sepoy Mahboob Ali (3 northern light infantry) and lance naik Mir Baz Khan and sepoy Sakat Khan (4 northern light infantry) included pay books, leave certificates, birth certificates and identity card, all of which showed they were in the Pakistan army. These documents have forcefully proved India's Claim that there was a strong representation of pak army regulars among the infiltrators in Kargil sector which pakistan has been denying.

GP captain K Rajaram, joint director of air operations, said air strikes had not been suspended altogether. Today, the planes did not take off because the army plans were such that there was no requirement. Denying that air attacks had been hampered by bad weather or were suspended, he said all the attacks were conducted in conjunction with the army. If thearmy reached a point where air strike was not required or that it could hamper their operations because of proximity of troops, then air operations were put off.

In srinagar, brigadier AK Chopra, general staff, said Indian troops had been able to push back pakistani intruders from some key locations while efforts were underway to encircle them and cut off their supply lines from other areas of the Kargil sector.

Bhandari said he was not aware of reports that eight helipads had been built by the intruders on the line of control.

Nachiketa was interrogated in Pakistan's custody

India on Saturday said that fighter pilot K Nachiketa had been subjected to "intense interrogation involving physical and mental measures" during his eight-day captivity in Pakistan.

An IAF spokesman said Nachiketa "as a good pilot withstood all this", adding that there were no physical injuries "apparent at this stage".

"Nachiketa was subjected to intense interrogation involving physical and mental measures byPakistani intelligence agencies," the spokesman said.Expressing happiness at his release, the spokesman said Nachiketa would be returned to his air force unit after a routine medical check-up and de-briefing.