Operation Dwarka
| Operation Dwarka | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the naval conflict of the India–Pakistan war of 1965 | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| Pakistan | India | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Commodore S. M. Anwar | Rear Admiral B. A. Samson | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
| Indian Navy | |||||
| Strength | |||||
|
1 light cruiser (PNS Babur) 6 destroyers (PNS Khaibar, PNS Badr, PNS Jahangir, PNS Shah Jahan, PNS Alamgir, PNS Tippu Sultan) 1 submarine (PNS Ghazi) |
Unknown | ||||
Location within India | |||||
Operation Dwarka was a naval operation by the Pakistan Navy to attack the Indian coastal town of Dwarka on 7 and 8 September 1965. This instance was the first engagement by the Pakistan Navy in any of the India–Pakistan wars.
As the India–Pakistan war of 1965 broke out between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the armies and air forces of both nations were involved in intense fighting in the regions of Punjab and Kashmir. To relieve pressure on the southern front, Pakistan decided to send its navy to launch a strike on the Indian coast. The primary objective of the attack ostensibly was to destroy the radar station at Dwarka which was believed by Pakistani naval intelligence to have a Huff-Duff beacon to guide Indian bombers. Pakistani high command also hoped to divert the operations of the Indian Air Force away from the north.
Many Pakistani sources describe the operation as at least partially successful, while many Indian ones dispute this.