Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Part of the Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts and Bangladesh Liberation War

First Row: Lt-Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, the Cdr. of Pakistani Eastern Comnd., signing the documented instrument 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 (13 days)
Location	Eastern Front: India–East Pakistan border Bay of Bengal Pasha enclaves Western Front: India–Pakistan border Line of Control Zero Point Indian Ocean Arabian Sea
Result	Decisive Indian victory Eastern front: Surrender of East Pakistan military command Western front: Unilateral ceasefire
Territorial changes	Eastern Front: Independence of East Pakistan as Bangladesh 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.

Belligerents

India

Provisional Government of Bangladesh

Pakistan

East Pakistan

Commanders and leaders

Indira Gandhi
(Prime Minister of India)

V. V. Giri
(President of India)

Swaran Singh
(External Minister of India)

Jagjivan Ram
(Defence Minister of India)

Gen Sam Manekshaw
(Chief of Army 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)

Lt.Gen Sagat Singh
(GOC-in-C, IV Corps)

Lt.Gen T. N. Raina
(GOC-in-C, II Corps)

Lt.Gen Sartaj Singh
(GOC-in-C, XV Corps)

Lt.Gen Karan Singh
(GOC-in-C, I Corps)

MajGen Farj R. Jacob
(COS, Eastern Command)

MajGen Om Malhotra
(COS, IV Corps)

MajGen Inderjit Singh Gill
(Dir, Military Operations)

Adm S. M. Nanda
(Chief of Naval Staff)

VAdm S. N. Kohli
(Cdr. Western Naval Command)

VAdm N. Krishnan
(Cdr. Eastern Naval Command)

RAdm S H Sarma
(Cdr. Eastern Fleet)

ACM Pratap C. Lal
(Chief of Air Staff)

Rameshwar Kao
(Director of RAW)

Tajuddin Ahmad
(PM Provisional Government)

Col. M.A.G. Osmani
(Commander, Mukti Bahini)

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)

Lt.Gen Abdul Ali Malik
(Commander, I Corps)

Lt.Gen Tikka Khan
(Commander, II Corps)

Lt.Gen Sher Khan
(Commander, IV Corps)

MGen Iftikhar Janjua †
(GOC, 23rd Infantry Division)

MGen Khadim Hussain
(GOC, 14th Infantry Division)

VAdm Muzaffar Hassan
(Cdr-in-Chief, Navy)

RAdm Rashid Ahmed
(COS, Navy NHQ)

RAdm Moh'd Shariff

(Cdr, Eastern Naval Command)

RAdm M.A.K. Lodhi
(Cdr, Western Naval Command)

RAdm Leslie Norman
(Commander, Pakistan Marines)

AM Abdul Rahim Khan
(Cdr-in-Chief, Air Force)

AVM P.D. Callaghan
(Chief Ins, Pakistan Air Force)

Air Cdre Inamul Haq

(Cdr Eastern Air Command)

Gp.Capt. Z.A. Khan

(COS, Air AHQ Dhaka)
Abdul Motaleb Malik

(Governor of East Pakistan)

Strength

Indian Armed Forces: 1,000,000
Mukti Bahini: 180,000
Total: 1,180,000

Pakistan Armed Forces: 350,000

Casualties and losses

India
2,500–3,843 killed
9,851–12,000 injured

1 Naval aircraft
1 Frigate
Okha harbour damaged/fuel tanks destroyed
Damage to several western Indian airfields

Pakistani claims

130 IAF Aircraft

Indian claims

45 IAF Aircraft

Neutral claims

45 IAF Aircraft

Pakistan
9,000 killed
25,000 wounded
93,000 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

42 PAF Aircraft

Indian claims

94 PAF Aircraft

Neutral claims

75 PAF Aircraft

The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a short but important war between India and Pakistan. It lasted only 13 days, from December 3 to December 16, 1971. This makes it one of the shortest wars in modern history.

During the war, soldiers from India and Pakistan fought on two main fronts: the eastern side and the western side. The war ended when the Pakistani military in East Pakistan signed a document called the Instrument of Surrender (1971) on December 16, 1971. After this, East Pakistan became an independent country named Bangladesh. About 93,000 Pakistani soldiers and civilians were taken as prisoners of war by India.

International Involvement in the War
Images for kids
See also

International Involvement in the War

The Blood Telegram was a message sent by US diplomats.

Many countries had different views on the war. Some supported India and Bangladesh, while others supported Pakistan.

The Soviet Union's Role

The Soviet Union (now Russia) supported Bangladesh and India. They helped the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini, who were freedom fighters from Bangladesh. The Soviets believed that an independent Bangladesh would weaken the power of their rivals, the United States and China. The Soviet Union also had a friendship treaty with India, promising support if needed.

The United States' Role

The United States supported Pakistan with political backing and supplies. US leaders like President Richard Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger were worried about the Soviet Union gaining more influence in Asia. Pakistan was also a friend of China, and the US wanted to improve its relationship with China.

President Nixon worried that India's actions could help the Soviet Union gain more power in the region. To show support for Pakistan and China, the US sent military supplies to Pakistan. They sent these supplies through countries like Jordan and Iran. The US also encouraged China to send more weapons to Pakistan.

The US government also ignored reports about the harsh actions of the Pakistani Army in East Pakistan. This led to a lot of criticism from the US Congress and international news. The US tried to get the UN Security Council to call for a ceasefire, but the Soviet Union used its veto power to stop it.

Naval Presence in the Bay of Bengal

As Pakistan's defeat in the eastern area seemed likely, the US sent a powerful group of navy ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, to the Bay of Bengal. This group arrived on December 11, 1971. The United Kingdom also sent a group of ships, including the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, to the Bay.

In response, the Soviet Navy sent its own warships and a submarine armed with nuclear missiles from Vladivostok. These Soviet ships followed the US task force in the Indian Ocean from December 18, 1971, to January 7, 1972. The Soviets also had a nuclear submarine to help protect against the US fleet.

Images for kids

The map shows Pakistan and East Pakistan; between them was 1,600 km (1,000 mi) of Indian territory.
An illustration showing military units and troop movements during operations in the Eastern sector of the war.
Pakistan's PNS Ghazi sank off the fairway buoy of Visakhapatnam near the eastern coast of India, making it the first submarine casualty in the waters around the Indian subcontinent.
Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant launches an Alize aircraft
Indian Air Force MiG-21s during the war.
A destroyed aircraft hangar at Dacca airfield after an Indian air attack.
The Indian T-55 tanks penetrating the Indo-East Pakistan border towards Dacca.
Tank-55 now at National War Memorial in Pune

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 facts for kids

Contents

International Involvement in the War

The Soviet Union's Role

The United States' Role

Naval Presence in the Bay of Bengal

Images for kids

See also