The Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, also known as the third India-Pakistan war, was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. The war began with Pakistan's Operation Chengiz Khan, consisting of preemptive aerial strikes on eight Indian air stations. The strikes led to India declaring war on Pakistan, marking their entry into the war for East Pakistan's independence, on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. India's entry expanded the existing conflict with Indian and Pakistani forces engaging on both the eastern and western fronts.[28] Thirteen days after the war started, India achieved a clear upper hand, and the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military signed the instrument of surrender[29] on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Approximately 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoner by the Indian Army, which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces, including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan.[30][31] The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians, either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (Razakars).[32][33][30]
Quick Facts Date, Location ...
Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 |
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Part of the Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts, Cold War, and Bangladesh Liberation War |
First row: Lt-Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, the Cdr. of Pakistani Eastern Comnd., signing the documented Instrument of Surrender in Dacca in the presence of Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora (GOC-in-C of Indian Eastern Comnd.). Surojit Sen of All India Radio is seen holding a microphone on the right. Second row (left to right): Vice Adm. N. Krishnan (FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Comnd.), Air Mshl. H.C. Dewan, (AOC-in-C Eastern Air Comnd.), Lt Gen. Sagat Singh (Cdr. IV Corps), Maj Gen. JFR Jacob (COS Eastern Comnd.) and Flt Lt Krishnamurthy (peering over Jacob‘s shoulder). |
Date | 3–16 December 1971 (1 week and 6 days) |
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Location | Eastern Front:
Western Front:
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Result |
Indian victory[1][2][3] Eastern front: Surrender of East Pakistan military command Western front: Unilateral ceasefire[4][5][6] |
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Territorial changes |
Eastern Front:
Western Front:
- Indian forces captured around 15,010 km2 (5,795 sq mi) of land in the West but returned it in the 1972 Simla Agreement as a gesture of goodwill.[7][8][9]
- India retained 883 km2 (341.1 sq mi) of the gained territory in Jammu and Kashmir while Pakistan retained 53 km2 (20.4 sq mi) territory [10]
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Belligerents |
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Commanders and leaders |
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V. V. Giri (President of India)
Indira Gandhi (Prime Minister of India)
Swaran Singh (External Minister of India)
Jagjivan Ram (Defence Minister of India)
Gen Sam Manekshaw (Chief of Army Staff)
Adm S. M. Nanda (Chief of Naval Staff)
Indian Air Force ACM Pratap C. Lal (Chief of Air Staff)
Lt Gen J.S. Arora (GOC-in-C Eastern Command)
Lt Gen G.G. Bewoor (GOC-in-C Southern Command)
Lt Gen K. P. Candeth (GOC-in-C Western Command)
Lt Gen Premindra Bhagat (GOC-in-C Central Command)
VAdm S. N. Kohli (FOC-in-C Western Naval Command)
VAdm Nilakanta Krishnan FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command)
Indian Air Force Air Mshl H. C. Dewan (AOC-in-C Eastern Air Command)
Lt Gen Sagat Singh Rathore (GOC IV Corps) Lt Gen T. N. Raina (GOC II Corps)
Lt Gen Sartaj Singh (GOC XV Corps)
Lt Gen K. K. Singh (GOC I Corps)
Maj Gen J. F. R. Jacob (COS, Eastern Command) Maj Gen Inderjit Singh Gill (Dir, Military Operations)
RAdm E. C. Kuruvila (FOCWF)
RAdm S. H. Sarma (FOCEF)
AVM I. H. Latif (ACAS(Plans)- Assistant Chief of Air Staff Plans)
Rameshwar Nath Kao (Secretary of R&AW)
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (President of the Provisional Government)
Tajuddin Ahmad (Prime Minister of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh)
Col. M. A. G. Osmani (Commander-in-chief, Mukti Bahini)
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Yahya Khan (President of Pakistan)
Nurul Amin (Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Gen A.H. Khan (Chief of Staff, Army GHQ)
Lt Gen A.A.K. Niazi (Commander, Eastern Command)
Lt Gen Gul Hassan Khan (Chief of General Staff)
VAdm Muzaffar Hassan (C-in-C, Navy)
Air Mshl Abdul Rahim Khan (C-in-C, Air Force)
Lt Gen Abdul Ali Malik (GOC I Corps)
Lt Gen Tikka Khan (GOC II Corps)
Lt Gen Bahadur Sher Khan (GOC IV Corps)
Maj Gen Iftikhar Janjua † (GOC 23rd Infantry Division)
Maj Gen Khadim Hussain (GOC 14th Infantry Division)
RAdm Rashid Ahmed (COS, NHQ)
RAdm Md Shariff (FOC Eastern Naval Command)
RAdm M.A.K. Lodhi (FOC Western Naval Command)
RAdm Leslie Norman (Commander Pakistan Marines)
AVM P.D. Callaghan (Chief Ins, Pakistan Air Force)
Air Cdre Inamul Haq (Cdr Eastern Air Command)
Gp Capt Z.A. Khan (COS, AHQ Dhaka)
Abdul Motaleb Malik (Governor of East Pakistan) |
Strength |
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Indian Armed Forces: 825,000[11] – 860,000[12]
Mukti Bahini: 180,000[13] |
Pakistan Armed Forces: 350,000[14] – 365,000[12]
Razakars: 35,000[15] |
Casualties and losses |
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India 2,500[15]–3,843 killed[16][17] 9,851[16]–12,000[18] injured
Neutral claims[15]
Indian claims
Pakistani claims
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Pakistan 9,000 killed[15] 25,000 wounded[18]
93,000 captured 2 destroyers[citation needed] 1 Minesweeper[citation needed]} 1 Submarine[24] 3 Patrol vessels 7 gunboats
- Pakistani main port Karachi facilities damaged/fuel tanks destroyed[25]
- Pakistani airfields damaged and cratered[26]
Neutral claims[15]
Indian claims
Pakistani claims
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Close
It is estimated that members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro-Pakistani Islamist militias killed between 300,000 and 3,000,000 civilians in Bangladesh.[34][35][36][37] As a result of the conflict, a further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek refuge in India.[38]
During the 1971 Bangladesh war for independence, members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro-Pakistani Islamist militias called the Razakars raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women and girls in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape.[39][40][41][42]