Battle of Lahore
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Lahore (Urdu
: , Hindi
: लाहौर की लड़ाई Lāhaur kī laḍ.āī) or the Lahore Front were a series of battles in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
fought in around Lahore. The battle ended with an Indian tactical victory however Indian forces stopped their assault on Lahore once they had reached outskirts of the city having captured Burki
. The rationale for this was that a ceasefire was to be signed soon, and had India captured Lahore it would likely have been returned in ceasefire negotiations.
n part of Kashmir
through a covert operative dubbed Operation Gibraltar
. After the Indians spotted the infiltrators, the Indian Army
eliminated the saboteurs and inflicted casualties on Pakistani posts across the Cease Fire Line. Pakistan
retaliated by launching Operation Grand Slam
on 17 August 1965 in an effort to relieve infiltrators who had been surrounded after the failure of Operation Gibraltar on 15 August and to attempt to cut off the Indian supply lines. To relieve forces almost cut off in their part of Kashmir
, India then counterattacked by crossing the international border further south with the intention of diverting Pakistani units that were participating in Operation Grand Slam. India's goal was to take distract Pakistani Army's attention and resources away from Operation Grand Slam
where unprepared Indian troops were at severe disadvantage against the Pakistani offensive.
began its operations by advancing towards Lahore along three axes – Amritsar-Lahore, Khalra-Burki- Lahore and Khem Karan-Kasur roads, overwhelming the small Pakistani force. Pakistan's 10 and 11 Divisions, which were deployed in the sector, began a series of rather confused delaying actions, and by the end of the first day the Indian infantry, backed by heavy armoured troops, were within striking distance of Lahore
city. Some advance Indian units managed to capture Ichhogil canal on 6 September but soon withdrew, since support and reinforcements were not expected to reach any time soon.
Pakistani soon launched a three pronged counterattack to counter Indian assault on 8 September backed by its newly created 1 and 6 Armoured division to break through the front line formed by Indian 4 Grenadiers, 9 Jammu and Kashmir rifles, 1 & 9 Gurkha rifles and Rajput Rifles.
On 8th, Pakistan began counterattack south of Lahore from Kasur towards Khem Karan, an Indian town 5 km from International Border. This was followed by another major armoured on 9 ans 10 September to recapture lost ground despite heavy toll on Pakistani armour. The Pakistani counterattack led to the capture of the village Khem Karan. However a massive Indian counter attack repulsed the Pakistani forces from this sector of Indian territory. Continued heavy attrition specially on Pakistani armour however meant Pakistan could not continue the counterattack from 10 onwards.
Along the Amritsar-Lahore and Khalra-Burki-Lahore axis in middle Indian infantry won decisive battle at Burki
. Pakistani counterattack which started on 8th Pakistani artillery pounding Indian advance on 8,9 and 10 September. Indian units continued their advance, and by 22 September, had reached the Ichhogil canal protecting the city of Lahore. Pakistani counterattacks were effectively tackled at Burki with little armour support on 10th punishing Pakistani armour. Indian advance then moved on to capture Dograi, a town in the immediate vicinity of Lahore. After reaching the outskirts of Lahore Indian Army ensured that Lahore came under constant Indian tank fire to prepare for the main assault on Lahore city before ceasefire was announced.
In the north India won another decisive battle at Phillora
supported by its 1 Armoured Division on 11th destroying the Pakistani counterattack. Indians continued to advance towards Chawinda in the north from Phillora and reached Chawinda by 17 September. However, they were halted at Chawinda till ceasefire on 22 September. This was a result of the exceptional defences backed by artillery were created by Pakistani Brigadier A.A.K. Niazi who had started preparing the defences soon after fall of Phillora. Indian attack in the north only lost momentum at the Battle of Chawinda, after more than 500 km2 of Pakistani territory had been captured. The Pakistanis being helped by the fact that the network of canals and streams in the sector made for natural defensive barriers. In addition, the prepared defence, comprising minefields, dugouts and more elaborate pillboxes, proved problematic for the Indians.
and Akhnoor
in Kashmir, forcing the Pakistan Army to defend further south.
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf
claimed that "Pakistan certainly achieved a tactical victory in the sense that we conquered more territory, inflicted more casualties, took more prisoners, and almost blew the Indian Air Force out of the air."
At the end of hostilties on 23 september India retained Between 140 square miles(War Despatches by Lt. Gen.Harbaksh Singh)and 360 square kilometres(official Indian History of 1965 war) of pakistani territory in the lahore front including major villages of Bedian,Barki,Padri,Dograi,Bhasin and Ichhogil uttar along the eastern bank of the Ichhogil canal.Pakistan only gained small tract of land in Khem Karan of 52 square kilometres.
The Pakistani commander, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, was later awarded the Nishan-e-Haider
, the highest military decoration given by Pakistan for the battle at Burki, posthumously. Each year he is honoured in Pakistan on 6 September, which is also known as Defence Day.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: , Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
: लाहौर की लड़ाई Lāhaur kī laḍ.āī) or the Lahore Front were a series of battles in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
fought in around Lahore. The battle ended with an Indian tactical victory however Indian forces stopped their assault on Lahore once they had reached outskirts of the city having captured Burki
Battle of Burki
The Battle of Burki was battle fought by Indian infantry and Pakistani armor in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Burki lies south-east of Lahore and short of the Ichhogil Canal and the bridge connecting it with the Lahore...
. The rationale for this was that a ceasefire was to be signed soon, and had India captured Lahore it would likely have been returned in ceasefire negotiations.
Prelude
After losing hope of a plebiscite in Kashmir, the Pakistani Army invaded the IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n part of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
through a covert operative dubbed Operation Gibraltar
Operation Gibraltar
Operation Gibraltar was the codename given to the strategy of Pakistan to infiltrate Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of India, and start a rebellion against Indian rule...
. After the Indians spotted the infiltrators, the Indian Army
Indian Army
The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
eliminated the saboteurs and inflicted casualties on Pakistani posts across the Cease Fire Line. Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
retaliated by launching Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam is virtually synonymous with the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. It refers to an audacious plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army, in May 1965, to attack the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, which was not only the lifeline of an entire infantry division in Jammu and Kashmir but...
on 17 August 1965 in an effort to relieve infiltrators who had been surrounded after the failure of Operation Gibraltar on 15 August and to attempt to cut off the Indian supply lines. To relieve forces almost cut off in their part of Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, India then counterattacked by crossing the international border further south with the intention of diverting Pakistani units that were participating in Operation Grand Slam. India's goal was to take distract Pakistani Army's attention and resources away from Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam
Operation Grand Slam is virtually synonymous with the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War. It refers to an audacious plan drawn up by the Pakistan Army, in May 1965, to attack the vital Akhnoor Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, which was not only the lifeline of an entire infantry division in Jammu and Kashmir but...
where unprepared Indian troops were at severe disadvantage against the Pakistani offensive.
The battle
On the night of 5–6 September 1965, Indian XI CorpsXI Corps (India)
The XI Corps of the Indian Army is based in Jalandhar and is a part of Western Command.XI Corps was raised to take command of the formations in the Punjab as India reorganised its post-1947 army to meet the new threat of Pakistan.It consists of:...
began its operations by advancing towards Lahore along three axes – Amritsar-Lahore, Khalra-Burki- Lahore and Khem Karan-Kasur roads, overwhelming the small Pakistani force. Pakistan's 10 and 11 Divisions, which were deployed in the sector, began a series of rather confused delaying actions, and by the end of the first day the Indian infantry, backed by heavy armoured troops, were within striking distance of Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
city. Some advance Indian units managed to capture Ichhogil canal on 6 September but soon withdrew, since support and reinforcements were not expected to reach any time soon.
Pakistani soon launched a three pronged counterattack to counter Indian assault on 8 September backed by its newly created 1 and 6 Armoured division to break through the front line formed by Indian 4 Grenadiers, 9 Jammu and Kashmir rifles, 1 & 9 Gurkha rifles and Rajput Rifles.
Along the Amritsar-Lahore and Khalra-Burki-Lahore axis in middle Indian infantry won decisive battle at Burki
Battle of Burki
The Battle of Burki was battle fought by Indian infantry and Pakistani armor in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Burki lies south-east of Lahore and short of the Ichhogil Canal and the bridge connecting it with the Lahore...
. Pakistani counterattack which started on 8th Pakistani artillery pounding Indian advance on 8,9 and 10 September. Indian units continued their advance, and by 22 September, had reached the Ichhogil canal protecting the city of Lahore. Pakistani counterattacks were effectively tackled at Burki with little armour support on 10th punishing Pakistani armour. Indian advance then moved on to capture Dograi, a town in the immediate vicinity of Lahore. After reaching the outskirts of Lahore Indian Army ensured that Lahore came under constant Indian tank fire to prepare for the main assault on Lahore city before ceasefire was announced.
In the north India won another decisive battle at Phillora
Battle of Phillora
The Battle of Phillora was one of the largest tank battles fought during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It was the first major engagement between the two nations in the Sialkot sector and coincided with the Battle of Asal Uttar.-Battle:...
supported by its 1 Armoured Division on 11th destroying the Pakistani counterattack. Indians continued to advance towards Chawinda in the north from Phillora and reached Chawinda by 17 September. However, they were halted at Chawinda till ceasefire on 22 September. This was a result of the exceptional defences backed by artillery were created by Pakistani Brigadier A.A.K. Niazi who had started preparing the defences soon after fall of Phillora. Indian attack in the north only lost momentum at the Battle of Chawinda, after more than 500 km2 of Pakistani territory had been captured. The Pakistanis being helped by the fact that the network of canals and streams in the sector made for natural defensive barriers. In addition, the prepared defence, comprising minefields, dugouts and more elaborate pillboxes, proved problematic for the Indians.
Aftermath
Even after the capture of Dograi on 20–21 September no attempt was made to capture Lahore and the main assault on Lahore was not launched because a ceasefire was to be signed in the following couple of days and it was known that the city would have been given back to even if it was captured. By choosing to attack Lahore, the Indians had managed to relieve pressure from ChumbChumb
Chumb is an area of Pakistan near the southern tip of Azad Kashmir. Here are people from various ethnic groups such as Gujjars, Bakerwals, Paharis,khokhars, and Mughals. A Baradari system is prevalent throughout the region, and matters are dealt with by family leaders. Hazel coloured eyes are...
and Akhnoor
Akhnoor
Akhnoor is a town in Jammu district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, India.Located from Jammu, Akhnoor is located in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is an extremely beautiful town...
in Kashmir, forcing the Pakistan Army to defend further south.
Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
claimed that "Pakistan certainly achieved a tactical victory in the sense that we conquered more territory, inflicted more casualties, took more prisoners, and almost blew the Indian Air Force out of the air."
At the end of hostilties on 23 september India retained Between 140 square miles(War Despatches by Lt. Gen.Harbaksh Singh)and 360 square kilometres(official Indian History of 1965 war) of pakistani territory in the lahore front including major villages of Bedian,Barki,Padri,Dograi,Bhasin and Ichhogil uttar along the eastern bank of the Ichhogil canal.Pakistan only gained small tract of land in Khem Karan of 52 square kilometres.
Awards
The Fighting Fifth Battalion of Indian Army which played an important part in capturing Burki was later was conferred with “Battle Honour of Burki” and “Theatre of Honour, Punjab”.The Pakistani commander, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, was later awarded the Nishan-e-Haider
Nishan-e-Haider
Nishan-e-Haider or Nishan-e-Hyder is the highest military decoration given by Pakistan . It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a Republic, however, it was instituted retrospectively from Independence in 1947...
, the highest military decoration given by Pakistan for the battle at Burki, posthumously. Each year he is honoured in Pakistan on 6 September, which is also known as Defence Day.