Two Mirages shot down
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and (Punjab) and Chakrol south of Ranbir Singh Pura in Jammu, while providing air-support to attacking infantry units. Another downed at Chhamb.
No serious damage was caused to any airfield and these were functioning normally with aircraft landing and taking off as usual.
Ground activity : Ladakh: No activity noticed, the zone remained peaceful. Kargil: No mentionable action anywhere from Karen to Kargil. Tithwal: Enemy kept shelling all our posts here last night and India retaliated with an attack on Ghasla post overlooking Lipa Valley which is of strategic importance. One Junior Commissioned Officer and seven others were captured.
Uri : Considerably heavy enemy shelling on our position with recoilless MMG etc.
As a retaliatory measure. Pakistani post of Kaman on Uri- Muzaffarabad captured. Shelling which started at 8 p.m. yesterday stopped by midnight. Poonch : Enemy launched three stages and heavy casualties were inflicted. Five Pakistani soldiers captured. In the attacks the 26th Infantry Brigade of Pakistan Army participated and India suffered very light casualties.
Mendhar : Enemy made repeated attacks to dislodge us from the all-important ridge and hilltop overlooking the river Poonch. A series of attacks initiated against us were repulsed and heavy casualties inflicted on the enemy.
Rajauri : Our post of Peer Pressure attacked last night but was beaten back.
Chhamb : West of Chenab river, Pakistan launched a massive attack with an infantry brigade supported by one aircraft. A Saber was shot down and six tanks were smashed in the still continuing fighting.
It was a two-pronged attack-north and southward-intended to encircle us but was beaten back with the heavy casualties to the enemy.
In Punjab, according to Gen Candeth there was not much activity compared to fighting in Chamb-Jaurian and other Jammu areas. Pakistan’s main attempts had been to cross the Sutlej in Ferozepur sector and Ravi in Gurdaspur sector. Both moves failed miserably.
According to the GOC-in-C. Western Command’s major activity on Punjab borders started yesterday at 6-30 p.m. when Pakistani infantry attacked Phulkanji near Attart in battalion strength in a surprise raid. It was however effectively repulsed. In the encounter one Pakistan soldier was captured along with huge quantity of arms which were collected by patrol party. Last night Massive assault launched with infantry and armored units on Indian forward companies across the Sutlej.
We had to resort to tactical retreat here. The bridge on the river was damaged in the shelling from a Pakistani position just facing it.
Six Pakistani tanks were knocked out, with heavy enemy casualties. No significant loses on our side.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 05.12.1971