Battle of Basantar

Battle of Basantar/Shakargarh
Part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Indian soldiers celebrate their victory at the end of the Battle of Basantar on top of a knocked out Pakistani M47 Patton tank, December 1971.
DateDecember 6–16, 1971
(1 week and 3 days)
Location
Shakargarh salient, Punjab, Pakistan
Result Indian victory
Belligerents
 India  Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
K K Singh
WAG Pinto
A S Vaidya MVC
Irshad Ahmad Khan
Abdul Ali Malik
Sharbat Ali Changezi
Strength
3 infantry divisions
2 armoured brigades
2 artillery brigades
2 engineer brigades[1]
3 infantry divisions
1 armoured division
1 armoured brigade[1]
Casualties and losses
13 tanks destroyed 48 tanks destroyed[2][3]

The Battle of Basantar, also known as the Battle of Shakargarh or Battle of Barapind (December 4–16, 1971), was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector.[1][4]

  1. ^ a b c "Battle of Basantar | Indian Defence Review". Indian Defence Review. 6 September 2023.
  2. ^ B. Chakravorty (1995). Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners. Allied Publishers. p. 22. ISBN 81-7023-516-2.
  3. ^ Major General Ian Cardozo (2003). Param Vir: Our Heroes in Battle. Roli books. ISBN 9789351940296.
  4. ^ "Tale of victory: 1971 Indo-Pak war veterans revisit experiences from Battle of Basantar". The Times of India. 2021-04-23. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-12-08.