Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, also known as the Third India-Pakistan War, was a significant military conflict between India and Pakistan, occurring from 3 to 16 December 1971 in the context of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The hostilities commenced with Pakistan's launch of Operation Chengiz Khan, a series of preemptive air strikes targeting eight Indian airbases. In response, India formally declared war on Pakistan, aligning itself with the Bengali nationalist movement advocating for the secession of East Pakistan.
India's intervention escalated the conflict into a full-scale war, with military engagements taking place on both the eastern and western fronts. Within thirteen days, Indian forces achieved a decisive strategic advantage. On 16 December 1971, the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military surrendered in Dhaka, effectively bringing an end to the conflict and leading to the emergence of Bangladesh as an independent nation.
Following the cessation of hostilities, approximately 93,000 Pakistani personnel were taken as prisoners of war by the Indian Army. This number included an estimated 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed members of the Pakistan Armed Forces, some of whom were Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan. The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 individuals were civilians, comprising family members of military personnel and collaborators, commonly referred to as Razakars.
Estimates indicate that the Pakistani military and its supporting Islamist militias were responsible for the deaths of between 300,000 to 3,000,000 Bangladeshi civilians. Moreover, around eight to ten million people sought refuge in India. The 1971 Bangladesh war for independence witnessed the Pakistani military and the Razakars carrying out a systematic campaign of genocide, which involved the rape of between 200,000 to 400,000 Bangladeshi women and girls.
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