Battle of Sylhet

The Battle of Sylhet (সিলেটের যুদ্ধ Silet-er Juddho)      was a major battle fought between the advancing  Indian Army and the Pakistani Troops at Sylhet during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The battle took place from 7th December to 15th December and was the Indian Army's first heliborne operation. It was a succession of the Battle of Gazipur in Kulaura.

Background
A massive military crackdown in East Pakistan had resulted over one million refugees pouring into India. The Government of India decided to go to war. However General Sam Manekshaw requested to postpone the offensive till the Indian Army was fully prepared. Acquisition of weapons, development of infrastructures, mobilization, training, dumping of ammunition, engineers stores, supplies prepared. By December, Indian forces concentrated and ready to launch offensives against both East and West Pakistan.

The town of Sylhet was located in northern end of the sector and was connected to Dhaka by road and rail.

The 8th Mountain Division under Major General K. V. Krishna Rao was responsible for the operations in Sylhet.

K. V. Krishna Rao was tasked to capture Sylhet.

Pakistan
The 14th Infantry Division was responsible for the defence of Sylhet. This included
 * 202 Brigade deployed for defences in Sylhet. Some of the troops deployed in Karimnagar, Gazipur, and other forward areas.
 * 313 Brigade at Moulvi Bazar
 * 27th Brigade at Akhaura

India
The 8th Mountain Division was responsible for the operations in Sylhet. This included:-
 * E force was formed by 5/5 Gorkha Rifles and two East Bengal battalions
 * 59th Mountain Brigade concentrated at Dharam Nagar
 * 81 Mountain Brigade concentrated at Kailashahar

Pakistan
Pakistan adopted a fortress strategy. They converted the towns and cantonments into fortresses with the help of mines and pillboxes. Re-enforcement of additional troops securing their defences.

In accordance with this strategy, ten cities: Jessore, Jhenaidah, Bogra, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Bhairab Bazar, Comilla, and Chittagong were converted into fortress.

According to this plan, if Indian troops attacked the cities they would suffer heavy casualties and if they tried to bypass them they would be surrounded.

In both the cases the it would ease the defence of Sylhet and buy time to build international pressure on India.

India
India adopted a and Maneuver style of warfare throughout the war. Consequently, in this strategy, an all out effort is made to threaten, capture, destroy the critical vulnerability of enemy. Critical vulnerability include specific selected areas which are attacked to create gaps for specific logistics corridors. of Once critical vulnerability is threatened the forces regardless of their strength rendered ineffective. The India objective was to get absolute victory. Indian forces exploited the gaps and abandoned the Highways and used the byways to attack enemy strongholds.

Initially in November, the Karimganj Bulge was viewed as a stronghold for Pakistani sabotage groups, thus clearing them would clear the area to the right. Hence, to achieve this Indian forces were tasked to capture Atgram and Zakiganj the area east of road connecting the spaces.

The advance towards Sylhet was started along three axis:- After Indian troops captured Gazipur and Kalaura. A heliborne Operation was planned to capture Sylhet. 4 / 5 Gurkha Rifles were airlifted to Sylhet on the night of 7 December.
 * E force to advance through Atgram – Jaintiapur – Sylhet axis
 * 59th Mountain Brigade to advance through Gazipur – Kulaura – Tenchu ganj – Sylhet axis
 * 81 Mountain Brigade to advance through Shamsher Nagar – Moulvi Bazar – Sylhet axis.

Battle
The night of 20/21 November, 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles crossed the Surma river and attacked Pakistani positions in Atgram. After heavy fighting, they captured Atgram along with a large amount of arms and ammunition.

Pakistani troops had set up defences at the bank of the Kushiyara River in Zakiganj. Indian troops consisted of 9 Guards and two companies of 87 Border Security Force. After a fierce battle Zakiganj was captured by Indian Forces.

The activities and actions of E force made Pakistanis believe that the attack would come from the north and east.

General Krishna Rao came up with a different plan to attack from the south. He assembled two regular brigades for the advance from the south.

On 4 December The 6 Rajput along with 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles of the 59th Infantry Brigade were tasked to capture Gazipur and Kalaura held by Pakistanis. A fierce battle was fought in Gazipur and both sides suffered heavy casualties and Indian troops succeeded in capturing Gazipur tea factory. Kulaura fell to 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles which badly affected the morale of the Pakistani troops. Following this, 6 Rajput then caught 22 Baluch, a retreating Pakistani battalion, in Tenchu ganj.

The 81 Mountain Brigade started the attack on 4 December. They commenced to capture the airfield and Chhatarpur tea factory. The 10 Mahars took over Chattarpur tea factory by after a stiff fight. The 4 Kumaon, assisted by two companies of 3 Punjab, captured the airfield on 6 December, after a two-day battle. The airfield was heavily mined and cratered. The 81 Mountain Brigade was now tasked to capture Moulvi Bazar, which was subjected to heavy artillery shelling and air attacks. The Pakistani troops had to withdraw from Moulvi Bazar on 8 / 9 December and Indian forces successfully captured Moulvi Bazar on 9 December 9 and secured the bridge crossing the river by 10 December.

For the Battle of Sylhet a heliborne operation was planned. It was reported that 202 Brigade was there for the defence of Sylhet. It was unknown that 313 Brigade at Moulvi Bazar had retreated to Sylhet.

On 7 December after aerial surveillance 14 Mil Mi-4 helicopters took off with 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles landing at pre-selected spots. Around 648 Gurkha troops were airlifted to Sylhet.

On 7 December around 3pm a major portion, Charlie company and B company, was airlifted followed by small portion of Bravo company 40–45 minutes later. The Charlie company men, along with commanding officers somehow managed to hold the enemy attack as they were engaged in small arms fire soon after the landing.

Pakistani troops mounted heavy medium machine gun (MMG) fire upon them. They charged in the direction of firing with the war cry of Ayo Gorkhali. The firefight continued 7 / 8 December respectively. On 8 December at 04:00hrs, Alfa and Delta company landed and railway bridge was successfully captured. In the twilight hours, a wave of helicopters came with two mounted guns and bringing 9 Guards and the rest of Bravo company as reinforcements. The company barely consisted of 60-75 troops aand was deployed in the depth along the banks of Surma River. The mounted guns lacked a suitable deployment area at a closer range as Alfa and Delta companies were present on the forward areas.

After the last light of 8 December, Pakistani troops launched a counterattack supported by artillery and heavy MMG fire. The Gurkhas quickly repulsed this counter-attack. On 9 December, Gurkhas deployed Alfa and Delta companies within 1 - 2 km of the bridge.

In the morning of 9 December, the battalion CO asked the Charlie company to conduct a combined patrol and lay an ambush in towards Charkai-Khadim Nagar Sylhet. They ambushed a Pakistani convoy. Alfa Company sent a patrol towards rail-road bridge leading from Sylhet and attacked Pakistani troops who were deployed alongside of the bridge. It was a tough decision for the battalion; either they go for defence or aggression. The Gurkhas had decided to occupy offensive positions laying ambush, cutting off communication lines, supplies, raids, harassing the Pakistani troops. A platoon of D company was deployed along the built up area. On 9 December another counterattack came from Pakistani troops supported by heavy artillery fire after the last light which was again repulsed by Gurkhas.

On 10 December, Gurkhas at Sylhet received air support from the Indian Air Force (IAF) and received a news that a transport aircraft of the IAF would be dropping supplies and ammunition. About 1200 hrs, IAF dropped supplies and ammunition which was scattered across the dropping zone. The Pakistani troops immediately opened fire, which caused the battalion, party under Ian Cardozo, delays in collecting supplies and artillery ammunition. However a proper replenishment of small arms and ammunition was retrieved.

The battalion conducted aggressive patrolling, however, Pakistani troops had deployed all of there elements and sporadically fired on the Indian positions. In the afternoon three IAF aircraft engaged Pakistani troops effectively and continued strafing upon them. However, night was somewhat quieter but limited arms and ammunition has become a major concern for them.

On 11 December, in the morning Hawker Hunter jets of the IAF engaged the Pakistani battalions at Sylhet. After the last light the Pakistanis again started heavy artillery and MMG fire with there war cry Allah Ho Akbar. The contact between Alfa and Delta broke down and only way remained to establish contact was through CO. The Gurkhas retaliated with full force with war cry Ayo Gurkhali. After sometime, the noise abated, and the attack was repulsed by Gurkhas. The Alfa Company lost their senior junior commissioned officer (JCO) "Subedar Karne Thapa" and three Jawans of D Company also were killed. At midnight the company was redeployed in high grounds.

On 12 December, the firefight continued, and two helicopters arrived with some ammunition and evacuated some casualties. The battalion was able to survive for a week without any link up and fortunately no major attacks were mounted on them. It is believed that the BBC made an error broadcasting that a whole Indian Brigade was dropped on Sylhet. whereas there was just a battalion airlifted to the town. Another fact is on 7 December, assault force's battle cries of Jo bole So Nihal, Sat sri Akal, Shivaji Maharaj ki Jay, and ayo gorkhali accompanied by an engineer regiment, which took part on the assault made Pakistanis believe that an entire Indian Brigade had been landed which prevented Pakistan Armed Forces launching any major attack on Gurkha troops. Gurkha troops used this to their advantage and divided into small pockets in jungles and continued fighting Pakistani troops.

By 13 December, there was no radical change in the situation. The 81 Mountain Brigade had already cleared Moulvi Bazar. E force and 59th Mountain Brigade were asked to increase pressure on Pakistani forces from the north and east to reduce pressure on 4/5 Gorkha Riffles. Heavy artillery fire and air attacks were brought up on Sylhet defenses.

Finally on 14 December, 6 Rajput linked up with 4th and 5th Gorkha Rifles, approaching from Tenchu ganj in the south, followed by a column of 8th Mountain brigade linking up on 15 December surrounding the entire Sylhet garrison and reinforced Indian troops. The Pakistani garrison after making four to five failed counterattacks was feeling the pressure both on physical and psychological terms.

On 15 December, Major Malik (Charlie company commander) informed that there was a large concentration of Pakistani troops at a distance of 800 m with white flags (indication of Surrender). A temporary cease-fire was established. On 16 December Pakistani troops consisting of 107 officers, 219 JCOs, and 61,90 other rank soldiers surrendered to the Indian Army as a part of overall surrender of Pakistan's forces.

Sylhet was a huge victory for the Indian Armed Forces. Indian troops were able the advance much faster and were able to threaten rear areas and forced the troops at forward defences to withdraw. The Indian Air Force maintained air superiority over the skies of East Pakistan all the time and attacked enemies at will. Sylhet was a perfect example of close co-ordination between infantry, air force and supporting arms.