Monday, September 25 2006 11:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: In the first official acknowledgement of involvement of Pakistan's regular troops in the Kargil conflict, President Pervez Musharraf has described it as a landmark in the history of the Pakistani army.

"Considered purely on military terms, the Kargil operations were a landmark in the history of the Pakistani army", he writes in his book 'In the Line of Fire' scheduled to be released in New York today (Sept 25,2006).

For long Pakistan has maintained that the 1999 conflict in Kargil involved 'freedom fighters', but the General says that five units of his army has supported the 'freedom fighter groups' to compel the Indians to employ more than four divisions.

He insists that Kargil was a tactical victory for his men trying to undo Indian adventurism, according to extracts of the book carried by 'The Nation' newspaper which in turn quoted BBC.

The President rubbishes speculation that Pakistan was preparing for a nuclear attack on India at the time of the conflict.

"I can say with authority that in 1999 our nuclear capability was not yet operational. Any talk of preparing for nuclear strikes is preposterous", he says.