Battle of Basantar
| Battle of Basantar/Shakargarh | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | |||||||
Indian soldiers celebrate their victory at the end of the Battle of Basantar on top of a knocked out Pakistani M47 Patton tank, December 1971. | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| India | Pakistan | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
K K Singh MVC WAG Pinto A S Vaidya MVC & bar |
Irshad Ahmad Khan Abdul Ali Malik Sharbat Ali Changezi | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
3 infantry divisions 2 armoured brigades 2 artillery brigades 2 engineer brigades |
3 infantry divisions 1 armoured division 1 armoured brigade | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 13 tanks destroyed | 46-48 tanks destroyed | ||||||
The Battle of Basantar, also known as the Battle of Shakargarh or Battle of Barapind (December 4–16, 1971), was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Jammu sector. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector in the 1971 war.