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1971 Indo-Pakistani War

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Part of the Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani Wars
1971 Instrument of Surrender.jpg
Lieutenant-General A. A. K. Niazi, the commander of Pakistan Eastern Command, signing the instrument of surrender in Dhaka on 16 Dec 1971, in the presence of India's Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora. Standing immediately behind from Left to Right: Indian Navy Vice Admiral Krishnan, Indian Air Force Air Marshal Dewan, Indian Army Lt Gen Sagat Singh, Maj Gen JFR Jacob (with Flt Lt Krishnamurthy peering over his shoulder). Veteran newscaster, Surojit Sen of All India Radio, is seen holding a microphone on the right.
Date 3–16 December 1971 (13 days)
Location Eastern Front:

Western Front:

Result Decisive Indian victory.
Eastern front:
Surrender of East Pakistan military command.
Western front:
Unilateral Ceasefire.
Territorial
changes

Eastern Front:

Western Front:

  • Indian forces captured around 5,795 square miles (15,010 km2) land in the West but returned it in the Simla Agreement as a gesture of goodwill.
Belligerents

 India


Bangladesh Provisional Bangladesh

 Pakistan


East Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
India V. V. Giri
(President of India)
India Indira Gandhi
(Prime Minister of India)
India Swaran Singh
(External Minister of India)
India Jagjivan Ram
(Defence Minister of India)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Gen Sam Manekshaw
(Chief of Army Staff)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen J.S. Arora
(GOC-in-C, Eastern Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen G.G. Bewoor
(GOC-in-C, Southern Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen K. P. Candeth
(GOC-in-C, Western Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Manohar Lal
(GOC-in-C, Northern Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Premindra Bhagat
(GOC-in-C, Central Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Sagat Singh
(GOC-in-C, IV Corps)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen T. N. Raina
(GOC-in-C, II Corps)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Sartaj Singh
(GOC-in-C, XV Corps)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Karan Singh
(GOC-in-C, I Corps)
Flag of Indian Army.svg Lt.Gen Depinder Singh
(GOC-in-C, XII Corps)
Flag of Indian Army.svg MajGen Farj R. Jacob
(COS, Eastern Command)
Flag of Indian Army.svg MajGen Om Malhotra
(COS, IV Corps)
Naval Ensign of India.svg Adm S. M. Nanda
(Chief of Naval Staff)
Air Force Ensign of India.svg ACM Pratap C. Lal
(Chief of Air Staff)
RAW India.jpg Rameshwar Kao
(Director of RAW)
Bangladesh Tajuddin Ahmad
(PM Provisional Government)
Bangladesh Col. M.A.G. Osmani
(Commander, Mukti Bahini)
Bangladesh Maj Kazi Shafiullah
(Commander, BD Forces)
Bangladesh Maj Ziaur Rahman
(Commander, Z Force)
Bangladesh Maj Khaled Mosharraf
(Commander, Crack Platoon)
Pakistan Yahya Khan
(President of Pakistan)
Pakistan Nurul Amin
(Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Gen. A.H. Khan
(Chief of Staff, Army GHQ)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Lt.Gen A.A.K. Niazi Surrendered
(Commander, Eastern Command)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Lt.Gen Gul Hassan Khan
(Chief of General Staff)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Lt.Gen Abdul Ali Malik
(Commander, I Corps)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Lt.Gen Tikka Khan
(Commander, II Corps)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg Lt.Gen Sher Khan
(Commander, IV Corps)
Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg MGen Iftikhar Janjua
(GOC, 23rd Infantry Division)
MGen Khadim Hussain
(GOC, 14th Infantry Division)
MGen Rao Farman  Surrendered
(Mil.Adv., EPR EPP, EPCG)
Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg VAdm Muzaffar Hassan
(Cdr-in-Chief, Navy)
Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg VAdm S.M. Ahsan
(COS, Navy NHQ)
RAdm Moh'd Shariff  Surrendered
(Cdr, Eastern Naval Command)
RAdm Hasan Ahmed
(Commander Karachi Coast)
RAdm Leslie Norman
(Commander, Pakistan Marines)
Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg AM Abdul Rahim Khan
(Cdr-in-Chief, Air Force)
Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg AVM Zulfiqar Ali Khan
(COS, Air AHQ Dhaka)
Air Force Ensign of Pakistan.svg AVM P.D. Callaghan  Surrendered
(Cdr, Eastern Air Command)
Abdul Motaleb Malik  Surrendered
(Governor of East Pakistan)
Strength
Indian Armed Forces: 500,000
Mukti Bahini: 175,000
Total: 675,000
Pakistan Armed Forces: 365,000
Casualties and losses

2,500–3,843 killed.

  • 1 Naval aircraft
  • Indian Okha harbour damaged/fueling facilities damaged.
  • Damage to western Indian airfields.

Pakistani claims

Indian claims

Neutral claims

9,000 killed
25,000 wounded
97,368 captured
2 Destroyers
1 Minesweeper
1 Submarine
3 Patrol vessels
7 Gunboats

  • Pakistani main port Karachi facilities damaged/fuel tanks destroyed
  • Pakistani airfields damaged and cratered

Pakistani claims

Indian claims

Neutral claims


Western Front:

Eastern Front:

Western Front:

 India

 Pakistan

2,500–3,843 killed.

Pakistani claims

Indian claims

Neutral claims

9,000 killed
25,000 wounded
97,368 captured
2 Destroyers
1 Minesweeper
1 Submarine
3 Patrol vessels
7 Gunboats

Pakistani claims

Indian claims

Neutral claims

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the liberation war in East Pakistan, from 3 December 1971 to the Fall of Dhaka on 16 December 1971. The war began with preemptive aerial strikes on 11 Indian air stations that led to the commencement of hostilities with Pakistan and Indian entry into the war of independence in East Pakistan on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. Lasting just 13 days, it is one of the shortest wars in history.


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