Battle of Thorgo

Battle of Thorgo
Part of Kashmir Conflict and the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948
Date16–18 March 1948[1]
Location
Thorgo near Skardu, Pakistan
35°18′04″N 75°44′40″E / 35.3010°N 75.74434°E / 35.3010; 75.74434
Result

Ambush successful[2]

  • Relief column defeated[3]
  • Remaining forces retreat[2]
Belligerents
Pakistan Dominion of Pakistan

India Dominion of India

Commanders and leaders
Maj.Ehsan Ali
Lieu.Babar
Capt.Nek Alam		 Faqir Singh (WIA)[4]
India Col.Cootes
Units involved

Gilgit Scouts

  • Ibex Force
  • Local Volunteers

6 J&K Infantry

  • Biscuit Column
Strength
~3 Platoons,[5] Approximately
(100-300)		 ~1 company
(350 men)[5]
Accompanied by:
~600 Jawans,400 Porters,200 horses[5]
Casualties and losses
Unknown Pakistani Sources:
150 killed, 75000 rounds of 303 ammo, (2-3) Mortar, rifles, Sten-guns, MMG's[6]
Indian Sources:
26 killed, 7 missing presumed killed, 18 wounded, 27 rifles, 5 Sten guns, 2 VB Machine guns, 64000 rounds of rifle ammunition, 84 Hand grenades, 51 HE bombs of 2-mch mortar, 204 HE bombs of 3-mch mortar.[7]

Battle of Thorgo[8] also known as Thorgo Incident[note 1] or Nurbachung ambush,[9] Thorgo also spelled as Thurgo[10] or Thergo,[11] took place during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948 in the Gilgit-Baltistan sector, between 16 and 18 March 1948, Involving Gilgit scouts and the Jammu and Kashmir forces, the Gilgit Scouts hid at the Thorgo Pari[note 2] between Gol and Skardu,[5] after being informed of the relief column which was dispatched by the Indian Headquarters at Srinagar for the reinforcement of the besieged Skardu garrison,[12] upon the arrival of the relief column the hidden scouts would ambush the relief column and throw large rocks at them causing panic and heavy casualties among them including Brigadier Faqir Singh being injured.[13]

The remnants of the defeated relief column would retreat back to Kargil under Major Cootes and the wounded Faqir Singh would head to Srinagar Headquarters.[14] A column would be made of two feeble platoons sent by the Colonel Sher Jung Thapa to receive the relief column on 18th February. After receiving information from Srinagar Headquarters regarding their arrival, but after being told by villagers the fate of the defeated relief column, the Skardu column would head back to Skardu garrison which would also be ambushed by the scouts, but would reach safety without any casualties.[15] Following the defeat of the relief column close to Gol, the scouts intensified their efforts against the Skardu garrison.[16] Major Ehsan was now informed of further reinforcements dispatched for the Skardu garrison under the codename Z Brigade which was consolidating at Kargil which would be commanded by Lieutenant Col. Kripal Singh, Major Ehsan would split his force and send to Parkutta for countering this force.[17]

  1. ^ Prasad (1987), pp. 288–289 :Dani (1989), pp. 386–387
  2. ^ a b Dani (1989), p. 387
  3. ^ Prasad (1987), p. 289
  4. ^ Palit (1972), p. 233
  5. ^ a b c d Dani (1989), p. 386
  6. ^ Saraf (2015), p. 280
  7. ^ Prasad (1987), p. 288
  8. ^ Jaffri (2019), p. 30
  9. ^ Suharwardy, Tragedy in Kashmir (1983), p. 155
  10. ^ Dani (1989), p. 369
  11. ^ Singh (2010), p. 253
  12. ^ Prasad (1987), pp. 287–288
  13. ^ Prasad (1987), p. 288 : Dani (1989), pp. 387
  14. ^ Prasad (1987), p. 288 : Singh (2010), p. 253
  15. ^ Prasad (1987), p. 289 : Singh (2010), p. 253
  16. ^ Singh (2010), p. 253 : Dani (1989), pp. 387
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).