Page 336 - SSB Interview: The Complete Guide, Second Edition

War of 1965

The Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 started following Pakistan’s Operation

Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to
precipitate an insurgency against rule by India. The five-week war caused

thousands of casualties on both sides. Most of the battles were fought by
opposing infantry and armoured units, with substantial backing from air
forces, and naval operations. It ended in a UN-mandated ceasefire and the

subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration.

1971 Bangladesh Liberation War

Pakistan, since independence, was geopolitically divided into two major
regions, West Pakistan and East Pakistan. East Pakistan was occupied mostly
by Bengali people. In December 1971, following a political crisis in East

Pakistan, the situation soon spiralled out of control in East Pakistan and India
intervened in favour of the rebelling Bengali populace. The conflict, a brief
but bloody war, resulted in the independence of East Pakistan. In the war, the

Pakistan Army swiftly fell to India, forcing the independence of East
Pakistan, which separated and became Bangladesh. The Pakistan military,

being a thousand miles from its base and defeated by superior forces,
surrendered.

Kargil War

During the winter months of 1998–99, the Indian army vacated its posts at
very high peaks in the Kargil sector in Kashmir as it used to do every year.
The Pakistan Army intruded across the Line of Control and occupied the

posts. The Indian Army discovered this in May 1999 when the snow thawed.
This resulted in intense fighting between Indian and Pakistani forces, known

as the Kargil conflict. Backed by the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army
regained some of the posts that Pakistan had occupied. Pakistan later
withdrew from the remaining portion under international pressure.