In an attempt to gain advantage through the element of surprise, the Indian Army, though outnumbered, attacked Pakistani positions in Jarpal area, triggering the Battle of Basantar.īoth the opposing sides were led by their army's I Corps. The Indian Army maintained a base at Pathankot, twenty three miles away from Shakargarh and quickly mobilized forces to defend the region. Therefore, securing the region was crucial for India as Pakistan had a military base nearby in Sialkot and therefore could have easily launched a massive invasion of the Shakargarh region, cutting Jammu and Kashmir from the rest of India. Shakargarh bulge was a key strategic area for India as it comprised road links between Jammu and Indian Punjab. Reasoning behind the battle Īs the war began on the eastern front, Pakistan decided to open up the western sector to divert Indian troops from the Eastern front in Bangladesh and prolong the war. Unlike in other places in Punjab, Shakargarh does not have any serious water obstacles, nor boggy patches, and is relatively flat. Shakargarh was not easily defensible (one analyst called it "a defender's nightmare" ). By contrast, the area was not as vital for Pakistan. The bulge was close to (5-15 miles) India's main road link to Kashmir. This battle took place in the Shakargarh Sector or the Shakargarh Bulge that includes Jarpal and surrounding areas. Location of battle īasantar river is a tributary of the Ravi River that flows in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector.
The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. 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. 1999 Pakistan Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown.
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