Indo-Pakistani war of 1971

Indo-Pakistani war of 1971
	Part of the Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts, Cold War, and Bangladesh Liberation War
	; First row: Lt-Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, the Cdr. of Pakistani Eastern Comnd., signing the documented Instrument of Surrender in Dacca in the presence of Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora (GOC-in-C of Indian Eastern Comnd.). Surojit Sen of All India Radio is seen holding a microphone on the right.; Second row (left to right): Vice Adm. N. Krishnan (FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Comnd.), Air Mshl. H.C. Dewan, (AOC-in-C Eastern Air Comnd.), Lt Gen. Sagat Singh (Cdr. IV Corps), Maj Gen. JFR Jacob (COS Eastern Comnd.) and Flt Lt Krishnamurthy (peering over Jacob's shoulder).
Date	3–16 December 1971; (1 week and 6 days)
Location	* India–East Pakistan border India–West Pakistan border; Line of Control; Indian Ocean; Arabian Sea; Bay of Bengal;
Result	Indian victory; Eastern front:; Surrender of East Pakistan military command; Western front:; Ceasefire agreement
Territorial; changes	Eastern Front: East Pakistan secedes from Pakistan as Bangladesh; Western Front: Indian forces captured around 15,010 km2 (5,795 sq mi) of land in the West but returned it in the 1972 Simla Agreement as a gesture of goodwill.; India retained 883 km2 (341.1 sq mi) of the gained territory in Jammu and Kashmir while Pakistan retained 160 km2 (60 sq mi) territory;
Belligerents
India; Provisional Government of Bangladesh;	Pakistan;
Commanders and leaders
Indira Gandhi; Swaran Singh; Sam Manekshaw; J.S. Aurora; S. N. Kohli; Nilakanta Krishnan; Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; Tajuddin Ahmad; M. A. G. Osmani	Yahya Khan; Hamid Khan; A.A.K. Niazi ; Tikka Khan; Iftikhar Janjua †; Md Shariff ; Leslie Mungavin; Abdur Rahim Khan; Abdul Motaleb Malik
Strength
Indian Armed Forces: 825,000 – 860,000 Western Front: ; 13 infantry divisions, 1 armoured division + 4 armored brigades (220,000-250,000 troops, 1,450 tanks, 350 aircraft); Eastern Front: ; 11 infantry divisions, 2 armored division + 2 independent armoured brigade (100,000-120,000 troops, 150-160 tanks, 275 aircraft) Mukti Bahini: 180,000	Pakistan Armed Forces: 350,000 – 365,000 Western Front:; 7 infantry divisions, 2 armored divisions + 4 armored brigades (260,000-270,000 troops, 850 tanks, 254 aircraft); Eastern Front: ; 4 infantry divisions, 1 armoured division + 1 independent armored brigade (90,000-93,000 troops, ~60 tanks, 19 aircraft) Razakars: 35,000
Casualties and losses
India; 2,500–3,843 killed; 9,851–12,000 wounded; 2,100 captured; Mukti Bahini; 30,000 killed 1 Naval aircraft; 1 Frigate; Okha harbour damaged/fuel tanks destroyed; Damage to several western Indian airfields; Pakistani claims 130 IAF Aircraft; Indian claims 45 IAF Aircraft; Neutral claims 45–65 IAF Aircraft;	Pakistan; 5,866–9,000 killed; 10,000–25,000 wounded; 93,000 captured; 2 Destroyers; 1 Minesweeper; 1 Submarine; 3 Patrol vessels; 7 Gunboats; Pakistani main port Karachi facilities damaged/fuel tanks destroyed; Pakistani airfields damaged and cratered; Pakistani claims 42 PAF Aircraft; Indian claims 94 PAF Aircraft; Neutral claims 75 PAF Aircraft;

The Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, also known as the third Indo-Pakistani war, was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. The war began with Pakistan's Operation Chengiz Khan, consisting of preemptive aerial strikes on eight Indian air stations. The strikes led to India declaring war on Pakistan, marking their entry into the war for East Pakistan's independence, on the side of Bengali nationalist forces. India's entry expanded the existing conflict with Indian and Pakistani forces engaging on both the eastern and western fronts.

Thirteen days after the war started, India achieved a clear upper hand, and the Eastern Command of the Pakistan military signed the instrument of surrender on 16 December 1971 in Dhaka, marking the formation of East Pakistan as the new nation of Bangladesh. Approximately 93,000 Pakistani servicemen were taken prisoner by the Indian Army, which included 79,676 to 81,000 uniformed personnel of the Pakistan Armed Forces, including some Bengali soldiers who had remained loyal to Pakistan. The remaining 10,324 to 12,500 prisoners were civilians, either family members of the military personnel or collaborators (Razakars).

It is estimated that members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro-Pakistani Islamist militias killed between 300,000 and 3,000,000 civilians in Bangladesh. As a result of the conflict, a further eight to ten million people fled the country to seek refuge in India.

During the war, members of the Pakistani military and supporting pro-Pakistani Islamist militias called the Razakars raped between 200,000 and 400,000 Bangladeshi women and girls in a systematic campaign of genocidal rape.