IAF pounds Pak cities Heavy fighting in both sectors
From Ranjit Roy, NEW DELHI, DEC. 4 -Indian troops today moved in massive strength in all sectors in Bangladesh and in concert with the Mukti Bahini and the guerillas, began operations against the West Pakistani forces there. Satisfactory progress was made during the day and several places were snatched out of the hands of the West Pakistanis.
The objective of decimating the small Pakistani fighter-bomber force was achieved during the day’s attacks on airfields, mainly Dacca and Jessore. At best, only two or three of the enemy places are now in serviceable condition. Among the airfields bombed were Dacca and Jessore.
On the ground, the Indian forces have encountered the stiffest resistance in the Jessore and Akhaura sectors. Fierce fighting is going on for the possession of the important Akhaura rail junction. Indian forces are astride the line rendering it impossible for the West Pakistani to make use of it. Heavy fighting is also going on in the Jessore sector.
Chittagong port and the Cox’s Bazar airfield were attacked by the Indian Navy in conjunction with the strikes by airborne aircraft. Army installations and petrol dumps in Chittagong and the airfield at Cox’s Bazar were put out of action. In addition two gunboats were destroyed at Chittagong.
In the western sector where Indian forces have for the present decided to have the only holding operations against West Pakistani attacks, the IAF bombed eight airports. These are Chanderi, Sherkot, Shargodha, Murid, Mainwali, Musroor (near Karachi). Resultwala (near Rawalpindi) and Changa Manga (near Lahore).
A total of 19 enemy military aircraft were destroyed or damaged in West Pakistan during the day, nine of these on the ground in a single operation against the Karachi airfield in the evening. Together with 14 planes in Bangladesh. Islamabad today lost altogether 33 aircraft.
India lost 11 planes, six of them over West Pakistan and five over Bangladesh. Heavy fighting in which tanks were used, went on throughout the day in the Hussainiwala (Punjab) and Chhamb-Jaurian (Jammu) sectors. No conclusive results had been reached till the time of the official briefing at 8 p.m. today, but the Pakistanis had by then suffered heavy casualties.
Six of their tanks went up in flames. The Pakistani claim to have captured Chhamb, Khemkaran and Fazilka has been characterized by New Delhi as totally false. The Indian Navy was ordered in the morning to seek and destroy enemy warships, cut maritime communications between West Pakistan and Bangladesh and deny support to the West Pakistani occupation forces in Bangladesh by sea. Carrierborne aircraft have been used for the attack in Chittagong port.
India has announced a list of contraband goods for transport to Pakistan by sea. This empowers the Indian Navy to intercept ships bound for West Pakistan and Bangladesh ports, search them on the high seas, and prevent them from entering enemy ports if they are found to be carrying any more of the articles declared to be contraband.
Even though Pakistan sought to make pre-emptive attacks on 12 of our airfields. She failed miserably to do any permanent damage to any. All our airfields, which had been subjected to attack, continue to be fully operational. Minor damage was caused to one or two airfields but the damage has been repaired.
Summarizing the ground and air operations since last night, a Defense Ministry spokesman said at 8 p.m. today that Indian ground and Air Forces inflicted heavy losses on Pakistan. Our losses, on the contrary, were “moderate”.
At a Press briefing at noon today, the Defence Secretary, Mr. K. B. Lall said that in the fighting in Bangladesh “on hold are barred. Since early hours of this morning, it is not merely in the Jessore, Hill and Tripura sectors that action is being taken, but in many other places also troops have moved into Bangladesh. Our forces have been and are being inducted into Bangladesh as required.”
The Defence Secretary added that he thought if any Pakistani aircraft was left in Bangladesh that should have been accounted for by now. The Pakistani do not have missiles in Bangladesh or if they have are conserving them. India had no occasion to use missiles except in Agra in the western region. There are reports not yet officially confirmed of a Pakistani Saber being brought down over Agra.
Agartala, he said, was “quite safe”, although the Pakistani might still do some shelling of the towns. “We hope however, that after today, you will not have any reason to ask about Agartala’s safety.”
In the western region, the attacks by both sides were confined mostly to those from the air. Amritsar, Uttarlai, Jodhpur and Agra were subjected to repeated Pakistani bombing last night. Jullunder and Udhampur were also attacked from the air, other places attacked were Godhra road-rail station, Chotail and Halwars.
India began taking counteraction from the air last night after the Prime Minister had consultations with her Cabinet colleagues on the Pakistani aggression and had given the defense forces firm orders to take whatever action they thought necessary to defeat the aggressor.
Reference: Hindustan Standard, 05.12.1971