New Delhi: Following ‘Operation Sindoor’, which concluded after four days of precise air and drone strikes in retaliation for the April 22 Pakistan-backed terror attack in Pahalgam, attention has turned to the history of military confrontations between India and Pakistan. Since Partition in 1947, the two neighbours have been locked in a bitter rivalry marked by wars, cross-border skirmishes and diplomatic standoffs.
The first war between India and Pakistan broke out in 1947, immediately after Partition. In October that year, Pakistan-backed tribal militias invaded Jammu and Kashmir. In response, India airlifted troops to Srinagar on October 27, following the erstwhile state’s formal accession to the Union of India on October 26. Then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led the call for immediate military action to push back the invaders.
Then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru took the matter to the United Nations, which brokered a ceasefire in 1949 under the Karachi Agreement. India retained two-thirds of the territory, while the remaining third came under Pakistan’s control, giving birth to the enduring Kashmir dispute.
The second full-scale war erupted in 1965 after Pakistan launched ‘Operation Gibraltar’, a covert mission aiming to infiltrate thousands of soldiers into Jammu and Kashmir to incite rebellion. The plan failed, leading India to launch a 17-day counteroffensive across the International Border. Indian forces targeted Lahore and Sialkot, engaging in what became the largest tank battle since World War II.
Notably, Indian troops repelled Pakistani forces at the Battle of Asal Uttar. India gained air superiority and captured key territory in Lahore and Rajasthan sectors. A United Nations Security Council resolution led to a ceasefire on September 23, and the war formally ended with the Tashkent Declaration on January 10, 1966, brokered by the Soviet Union in Uzbekistan.
The third and most decisive war came in 1971, rooted not only in Kashmir but also in the political turmoil in East Pakistan. After Pakistan launched ‘Operation Searchlight’ to suppress Bengali nationalism led by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, atrocities led to a humanitarian crisis – with nearly 10 million refugees flooding into India.
India intervened militarily, capturing over 15,000 square kilometres of Pakistani territory across PoK, Punjab and Sindh, although it later returned the land. The war culminated in the surrender of more than 90,000 Pakistani troops and the creation of Bangladesh on March 26, 1971. It was the largest military surrender since World War II. Celebrating the victory, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had said, “The world admires a deed well done. And I think, with all modesty, we can say we have done the task well.”
By 1987, tensions escalated again following the controversial Jammu and Kashmir elections, which sparked separatist sentiment. India accused Pakistan of providing logistical and financial support to militants. Both nations built up military presence along the Line of Control, leading to frequent clashes.
India conducted a massive military exercise, ‘Operation Brasstacks’, near the Pakistan border, which Islamabad interpreted as a threat of invasion. In 1990, the standoff nearly escalated into a nuclear confrontation, prompting calls for de-escalation from the United Nations. The unrest in Kashmir and cross-border skirmishes continued through the 1990s.
In 1999, the Kargil conflict broke out after Pakistani soldiers and paramilitary forces crossed the LoC and occupied Indian positions in the Kargil sector, aiming to disrupt the Srinagar-Leh Highway and change the LoC unilaterally.
Initially, Pakistan denied involvement, calling the infiltrators “freedom fighters”. However, India presented irrefutable evidence of regular Pakistani troops’ involvement. After weeks of heavy fighting, Indian forces reclaimed most of the lost territory. Under international pressure, especially from the then U.S. President Bill Clinton, Pakistan was forced to withdraw. The conflict cost Pakistan over 4,000 soldiers, though it initially denied the losses. Later, then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif acknowledged the casualties and the strategic defeat.
In addition to these wars, India and Pakistan have engaged in several significant but limited conflicts. In early 1965, before the full-scale war, the two sides clashed in the Rann of Kutch after Pakistan launched ‘Operation Desert Hawk’. The boundary in this area has remained disputed since 1947.
Another prolonged standoff occurred in Siachen from 1984 to 2003. India preemptively occupied the glacier under the ‘Operation Meghdoot’ and later reinforced its position with ‘Operation Rajiv’ in 1987. India took control of the 70-km-long glacier, its tributaries and critical passes like Saltoro Ridge, Bilafond La, Gyong La and Sia La.
Pakistan retained the valleys to the west. Though a ceasefire was declared in 2003, both countries maintain a heavy military presence in the region, making Siachen the world’s highest and most inhospitable battlefield.
Despite multiple ceasefires, diplomatic talks and international mediation efforts, India-Pakistan relations remain volatile. Pakistan’s persistent support for cross-border terrorism continues to undermine regional peace and stability. From full-scale wars to proxy conflicts, the history between the two nations remains one of hostility and mistrust.
The recent ‘Operation Sindoor’ is a reminder that while conventional wars may have become rare, the threat of terrorism and hybrid warfare continues to test India’s resolve and security apparatus.
Source link
[ad_3]
