Wary of the growing involvement of India ,
the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force bases on
3 December 1971. The attack was modelled on the Israeli
Air Force's Operation Focus during the Six-Day War,
and intended to neutralise the Indian
Air Force planes on the ground. The strike was seen by India as
an open act of unprovoked aggression. This marked the official start of
the Indo-Pakistani War.
As a response to the attack, both India and Pakistan formally acknowledged
the "existence of a state of war between the two countries", even
though neither government had formally issued a declaration of war.
Three Indian corps were involved
in the liberation of East Pakistan . They
were supported by nearly three brigades of
Mukti Bahini fighting alongside them, and many more fighting irregularly. This
was far superior to the Pakistani army of threedivisions.] The
Indians quickly overran the country, selectively engaging or bypassing heavily
defended strongholds. Pakistani forces were unable to effectively counter the
Indian attack, as they had been deployed in small units around the border to
counter guerrilla attacks by the Mukti Bahini.] Unable
to defend Dhaka , the Pakistanis
surrendered on 16 December 1971.
The air and naval war
The Indian
Air Force carried out several sorties against Pakistan , and within a week, IAF aircraft
dominated the skies of East Pakistan .
It achieved near-total air
supremacy by the end of the first week as the entire Pakistani air
contingent in the east, PAF No.14 Squadron, was grounded because of Indian and
Bangladesh airstrikes at Tejgaon, Kurmitolla, Lal Munir Hat and Shamsher
Nagar. Sea Hawks from INS Vikrant also
struck Chittagong, Barisal and Cox's
Bazar, destroying the eastern wing of the Pakistan
Navy and effectively blockading the East Pakistan ports, thereby
cutting off any escape routes for the stranded Pakistani soldiers. The
nascent Bangladesh Navy (comprising officers and
sailors who defected from the Pakistani Navy) aided the Indians in the marine
warfare, carrying out attacks, most notably Operation
Jackpot
] The Indians quickly overran the country, selectively
engaging or bypassing heavily defended strongholds. Pakistani forces were
unable to effectively counter the Indian attack, as they had been deployed in
small units around the border to counter guerrilla attacks by the Mukti Bahini.] Unable
to defend Dhaka , the Pakistanis
surrendered on 16 December 1971.
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