| Revision as of 02:29, 23 September 2004 view sourceAreJay (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers6,814 edits Indian, Pakistani claims← Previous edit | Revision as of 02:39, 23 September 2004 view source AreJay (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Rollbackers6,814 editsm →See alsoNext edit → | ||
| Line 63: | Line 63: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 02:39, 23 September 2004
Introduction and History
The 1965 war, also known as the Second Kashmir War, between India and Pakistan was the second war fought between the two nations after gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1947. Details of this war, like those of most India-Pakistan wars, are sketchy and riddled with media biases.
The Rann of Kutch
Fighting broke out between India and Pakistan in an area known as the Rann of Kutch, a barren land between the Indian state of Gujarat and Pakistan, in April 1965. Later the same year, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson successfully persuaded both countries to end hostilities and set up a tribunal to resolve the dispute. The verdict saw Pakistan gaining 350 sq. miles of the Rann of Kutch.
Pre-war
After its successes in the Rann of Kutch, Pakistan, under the leadership of General Ayub Khan is said to have believed that the Indian army was unwilling or unable to defend itself against a quick military campaign in the disputed territory of Kashmir, following a loss to China in 1962. Pakistan believed that the populace of Kashmir were generally discontent with Indian rule and that a resistance movement could be ignited by a few infiltrating saboteurs.
For its part, Pakistan claimed to have concerned by the attempts of India to absorb Kashmir - a state that Pakistan claims as "disputed", into the Indian union.
The War
On August 15 1965, Indian forces crossed the ceasefire line and launched a three-pronged attack on Lahore, Sialkot and Kashmir, marking an official beginning to the war. Pakistani reports cite this attack as unprovoked. Indian reports cite the attack as a response to a tip the Indian forces received from the Kashmiri populace about Pakistani soldiers crossing the Line of Control (LoC) dressed as local Kashmiris. This was codenamed Operation Gebraltar.
Most of the war was fought on land by each country's infantry and armor units, with substantial backing from their air forces. Initially the Indian army met with considerable success in the northern sector (Kashmir). After launching a prolonged artillery barrage against Pakistan, India was able to capture three important mountain positions. By the end of the month, Pakistan had made progress in areas such as Tithwal, Uri and Punch and India had gains in Pakistan Administered Kashmir, having captured the Haji Pir Pass eight kilometers inside Pakistani territory.
These territorial gains and rapid Indian advances were met with a counterattack by Pakistan in the southern sector (Punjab) where Indian forces, having been caught unprepared, suffered heavy losses. India then called in its airforces to target the Pakistani attack in the southern sector. The next day, Pakistan retailiated, calling in its airforces to retaliate against Indian forces in both Kashmir and Punjab.
On September 6, the 15th Infantry Division of the Indian Army, under WWII veteran Major General Prasad battled a massive counterattack by Pakistan near the west bank of the Ichogil Canal. The General's entourage itself was ambushed and he was forced to flee his vehicle. A second attack on Burki brought the Indian army within the range of Lahore International Airport, although temporarilly. The United States requested for a temporary ceasefire to allow it to evacuate its citizens in Lahore.
Another counter offensive consisting of an armored division supported by an infantry division launched by Pakistan the same day threw the Indian 15th Division back to its starting point.
The war was heading for a stalemate, with both nations holding territory of the other. The Indian army suffered 3,000 battlefield deaths, while Pakistan suffered 3,800. The Indian army was in possession of 710 sq. miles of Pakistani territory and the Pakistan army held 210 sq. miles of Indian territory, mostly in Chumb in the northern sector.
Indian and Pakistani Claims
India and Pakistan hold widely divergent claims on the damage they have inflicted on each other and the amount of damage suffered by them. There has been no neutral assessment of the damages of the war. The following summarizes each nation's Claims
| India | Pakistan | |
| Aircraft Destroyed | 35 IAF, 73 PAF | 104 IAF, 19 PAF |
| Arial Victories | 13 | 30 |
| Land area won | 1,500 miles of Pakistani territory | 2,000 miles of Indian territory |
* American sources claim India held 710 sq. miles of Pakistani territory and Pakistan held 210 sq. miles of Indian territory.
Ceasefire
On September 22, the United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution that called for a ceasefire. The war ended the following day. The Soviet Union, lead by Premier Alexi Kosygin, brokered a ceasefire in Tashkent (now in [[Uzbekistan), where Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistani President Ayub Khan signed an agreement to withdraw to pre-August lines no later than February 25 1966.
The battle remained largely inconclusive and saw a five year period of relative peace between the two neighboring rivals before war broke out once again in 1971.
See also
Sources
United States Library of Congress Country Studies - India
GlobalSecurity.org Indo-Pakistan War 1965
Categories: