Battle of Lahore

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The Battle of Lahore or the Defence of Lahore was an episode in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

After losing hope of a plebiscite in Kashmir, the Pakistani Army invaded the Indian held Kashmir through a covert operative dubbed Operation Gibraltar. After the infiltrators were spotted by the Indians, the Indian Army eliminated the saboteurs and inflicted minor casualties to Pakistani posts across the Cease Fire Line. Pakistan retaliated by launching Operation Grand Slam. To relieve forces almost cut off in their part of Kashmir, India then counter attacked by crossing the International border further south with intentions of occupying Lahore. On the night of September 5 - September 6 the Indian infantry backed by heavy armoured troops were within striking distance of Lahore city. A relatively smaller Pakistani Army in the sector comprising a few companies held the Indian thurst comprising 3 divisions into Pakistan soil. The Pakistani positions managed to survive and also caused damage to Indian armoury. However, it must be noted that Pakistani troops were well dug-in and had the lie of the land in their favor. On the next morning, the President of Pakistan, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, declared war on India.

An Indian Army soldier posing outside a captured Pakistani police station (Barkee) in Lahore District.

Following this, both armies fought a huge battle for control of the Punjab sector including Sialkot and Lahore with both sides suffering heavy casualties. For several days the Indian Army couldn't cross the Pakistani defences. Soon India involved its air force and the Indian Air Force started striking Pakistan's defence line. This brought out the Pakistan Air Force into action that neutralised the Indian aerial threat. The Pakistani air force also bombed some Indian airbases and caused damage in the ensuing fighting. As a result the Indian advance was largely stalled and Pakistan managed to defend the city of Lahore, although it lost the outskirts of the district facing the Indian border. These areas, captured by Indian troops, in the Lahore District were returned back to Pakistan following the Tashkent Declaration.^[1] ^[2] Meanwhile, the theatre of conflict spread further across the border.

When the battle had ended hundreds of lives were lost though the exact count is disputed on both sides. It is believed that some 700 Pakistanis and 1000 Indians were killed in the fighting. While Pakistan regards this as a military victory for prevailing over its numerically superior neighbour, even celebrating September 6 as Defence Day each year, many historians opine that it had shifted the momentum from Pakistan in Kashmir. By choosing to attack Lahore, the Indians had managed to relieve pressure from Chumb and Akhnoor in Kashmir forcing the Pakistan Army to defend further south. In the end, despite a tactical victory for Pakistan, it did little to obtain the strategic goal of liberating Kashmir as much of the Pakistani Military was left defending the Punjab sector. The battle was followed by Pakistani counter attacks and battles in Indian territory including the Battle of Asal Uttar.