Facts On File News Services http://www.2facts.com/PrintPage.aspx?PIN=1971109650

Issue Date: December 08, 1971

War Erupts Between Forces of and ; Fighting in Kashmir and West; Invaded in Force Indians Capture Jessore

Indian forces in East Pakistan scored a victory with the capture of Jessore December 7. The seizure of the city virtually assured India's control of about half of East Pakistan. Shortly after Jessore had fallen, the Indian army chief of staff, General S. H. F. J. Manekshaw appealed to the 70,000 Pakistani troops in the province to "lay down your arms before it is too late. Time is running out. Indian forces have encircled you. Your fate is sealed."

Jessore was the site of a Pakistani divisional headquarters and after the 24 hour battle its 5,000 defenders were said to have fled in disarray to the southeast toward Khulna. Khulna was 35 miles away and Indian troops were advancing on that town.

In addition to capturing Jessore, Indian troops December 7 occupied Sylhet in the northeast and encircled Comilla to the south. The encirclement of Comilla placed Indian forces 40 miles from Dacca.

In the first mention of the Bengali rebel role in the widening conflict, Indian Major General J. F. R. Jacob, chief of staff of the Eastern Command, told a news briefing December 7 that the " [rebels] are collaborating with our troops in all sectors wherever they are."

Indian mastery of the air had paved the way for Indian ground gains in East Pakistan. In the third day of fighting in the province, an Indian spokesman reported December 5 that all but four Pakistani planes in use on the eastern front had been destroyed. Air Marshal H. C. Dewan claimed India had achieved "complete freedom of the skies" in East Pakistan. Fourteen Pakistani planes were reported destroyed on the ground December 4-5, bringing the total number of Pakistani planes lost to 47, according to Indian accounts.

Indian MiG-21s had carried out eight raids against the Dacca airport December 4 and bombed the field again December 6. Indian aircraft were reported to have destroyed an oil refinery at the port of Chittagong December 4.

Pakistani Major General Rao Farman Ali said December 6 that Indian forces had penetrated 30 miles into East Pakistan and had committed seven divisions and 10-11 air squadrons to the operation. Farman, military adviser to the governor of East Pakistan, said Indian warships were blockading Chittagong.

The commander of India's eastern forces, Ajit Singh Aurora, declared December 4 that his objective was the complete surrender of Pakistani troops in East Pakistan. He affirmed that India's overall strategy aimed at capturing East Pakistan while containing enemy attacks from . © 2011 Facts On File News Services

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Citation:

"War Erupts Between Forces of India and Pakistan...Indians Capture Jessore." Facts On File World News Digest: n. pag. World News Digest. Facts On File News Services, 8 Dec. 1971. Web. 31 Mar. 2011. .

For further information see Citing Sources in MLA Style.

Facts On File News Services' automatically generated MLA citations have been updated according to the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition.

American Psychological Association (APA)

Citation format:

The title of the article. (Year, Month Day). Facts On File World News Digest. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from World News Digest database.

See the American Psychological Association (APA) Style Citations for more information on citing in APA style.

1 of 1 3/31/2011 14:53