Battle of Pandu

For the War in which the Battle of Pandu was fought in, see Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948.
Battle of Pandu
Part of Indo-Pakistani war of 1947-1948 and Kashmir conflict

Pandu in Azad Kashmir (Pakistan) on a map
Date(27 June-24 July 1948)
Location
Pandu, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
34°09′01″N 73°53′23″E / 34.1502°N 73.8896°E / 34.1502; 73.8896
Result Pakistani victory[1][2]
Territorial
changes		 Pandu and the pandu massif is retaken by Pakistani forces, becomes part of Azad Kashmir[3]
Belligerents
Pakistan Dominion of Pakistan

India Dominion of India

Commanders and leaders

Akbar Khan[note 1]
Lt. Zaman
Lt. M.S. Bahadur
Major A.H. Afridi[5]
Capt. Sarwar †[6]

Tribal commander:

Lt. Col. Tur[9]
Brig. Khanna (WIA)
Gen. K.S. Thimayya
Sher Singh (WIA)[2]
Lt. Jasod (WIA)[10]
Units involved

 Pakistan Army

 Indian Army

Casualties and losses
100 Killed[1] 309 Killed[1]
1 aircraft shot down[11]

The Battle of Pandu,[12] also known as Operation Pandu,[note 2] was a pivotal engagement in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947-1948. Fought in the Pandu massif along the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road in Kashmir, the battle centered on control of the strategically important high ground. The Pakistani forces at Chakothi faced a disadvantage to Indian troops on the dominating peaks,[14] The Indian force planned an offensive towards Muzaffarabad through Pandu.[15] Having earlier lost key positions in Pandu to an Indian offensive, Pakistan launched a counter-operation to retake the area, ultimately led to the capture of the Pandu area.[16]

After the unsuccessful summer offensive towards Muzaffarabad from Pandu, the Indian forces launched preparations for a new offensive originating from Jammu. This operation aimed to push westward and northward to relieve Poonch and other areas from Pakistani control.[17] Lieutenant General Bajwa of the Indian Army acknowledged the Pakistani forces for holding their positions. These posts, currently under Pakistani control, offer a strategically advantageous view of the Uri valley in Indian-administered Kashmir, south of the Jhelum River.[18]

  1. ^ a b c Javaid 2023, p. 15.
  2. ^ a b Singh 2010, p. 185.
  3. ^ Sinha 1977, pp. 83–84 : Praval 1976, p. 185 : Khan 1975, pp. 138–142 : Singh 2010, p. 185
  4. ^ "General Tariq and the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case - II". The Friday Times. 2021-01-08. Archived from the original on 2024-03-19. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  5. ^ Gulati 2000, p. 339.
  6. ^ Singh 2010, p. 188.
  7. ^ Ahmed 1998, p. 221.
  8. ^ Ahmed 1998, p. 295.
  9. ^ Prasad 1987, pp. 212–213.
  10. ^ Singh 2010, p. 181.
  11. ^ Singh 2010, p. 189.
  12. ^ Qadri, Colonel Azam (2024-03-04). "They Led from the Front". hilal.gov. Archived from the original on 2024-03-01.
  13. ^ Khan, Babar (2023-08-17). "Second in command". The Nation. Archived from the original on 2024-03-17. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  14. ^ Khan 1975, pp. 126–127 :
  15. ^ Prasad 1987, pp. 180–183 : Sinha 1977, pp. 31–33 : Sinha 1977, p. 87
  16. ^ Sinha 1977, pp. 83–84 : Praval 1976, p. 185
  17. ^ Khan 1975, p. 146.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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