New Delhi, September 6: On September 6, the Indian Army crossed the International Border of Pakistan during the 1965 war in retaliation to Pakistan’s Operation Grand Slam. Ironically, Pakistanis celebrate this day as their Defence Day. The war of 1965 began after Pakistan initiated Operation Gibraltar to carry out infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir. India retaliated by launching a full-scale military attack on West Pakistan. The Wars That Indian Armed Forces Fought Since 1947.

On August 5, 1965, around 30,000 Pakistani Army soldiers crossed the Line of Control (LoC). After the Indian Army got information from local sources, it crossed the cease-fire line on August 15. Initially, the Indian Army succeeded considerably by capturing three important mountain positions. However, by the end of August, both the sides had relative progress. Pakistan Army advanced to areas such as Tithwal, Uri and Poonch and India had captured the Haji Pir pass, 8 km into Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, with the capture of this feature Operation Gibraltar failed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Pays Tribute to Indian Soldiers Who Fought in World War I, Says India Committed to World Peace

In retaliation to the Indian Army’s success, on September 1, 1965, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam. The main aim of the operation was to capture Akhnoor in Jammu. The Indian Army was taken by surprise by the huge mobilisation of Pakistani troops for the operation. The next day, the Indian Air Force (IAF) swung into action to suppress the attack. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) also attacked the Indian airbases in Punjab and Jammu. Finally decided to attack Western Pakistan. National War Memorial in New Delhi- a Tribute to Martyred Soldiers; Here’s All You Need to Know.

The 1965 war witnessed the largest involvement of armourd tanks after the World War II. Pakistan lost almost 97 tanks in the battle fought in the Khem Karan sector India. The Indian Army lost only 20-30 tanks. The war came to an end after the intervention of the erstwhile Soviet Union and the United States. In January, 1966, the Tashkent Declaration was a peace agreement between India and Pakistan.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2019 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).