Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

The Indo-Pakastani War of 1971 was a two week long armed conflict between India and Pakistan in December of 1971. India intervined on behalf of East Pakistan, later Bangladesh, in it's civil war with West Pakistan.

Indo-Pakistani relations deteriorated when civil war erupted in Pakistan, pitting the West Pakistan army against East Pakistanis demanding greater autonomy. On December 3, 1971, the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) struck a number of Indian airfields in northern India. By midnight, India was officially at war with Pakistan. Battles occured along the borders with both East and West Pakistan. The Indian Army had overrun erstwhile East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and taken 93,000 POWs. As a result on the intervention East Pakistan became independant at Bangladesh.