Battle of Dali
| Battle of Dali | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Rajasthan Front of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 | |||||||||
| File:A troop of Sherman tanks from the Indian 3ʳᵈ (I) Armoured Squadron, seized by the Pakistani 18ᵗʰ Punjab, on 21/09/65, while recapturing Dali.png A troop of Sherman tanks from the Indian 3ʳᵈ (I) Armoured Squadron, seized by the Pakistani 18ᵗʰ Punjab, on 21/09/65, while recapturing Dali in the Thar Desert | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Pakistan |
 India | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Brig. K. M. Azhar Khan | unknown | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| 18 Punjab |
17 Madras Maratha regiment | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
| 900-1000 |
1500-2000 3 tanks | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
38 killed 53 wounded |
97 killed 82 wounded 180 captured (including 7 officers) 3 tanks captured | ||||||||
The Battle of Dali was a major engagement of the Sindh-Rajasthan Front of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, as well as one of the final battles of the war as the UN-mandated ceasefire came into effect a day after the battle.
Background
[change | change source]Hostilities on the Rajasthan front began on 8th September 1965, when Pakistan Rangers, along with the Hur tribal warriors (natives of the Thar desert of Sindh), began conducting raids and capturing Indian border villages and fortifications. India had kept some forces in Rajasthan with the aim of launching offensives into Sindh and southern Punjab, but the Pakistani raids forced them to be mostly on the defensive. The attack on Dali, a small Pakistani village located roughly 13 miles from the border, was the only significant Indian counterattack in this front of the war.
The Battle
[change | change source]The attack consisted of elements of the Maratha light infantry regiment along with 17 Madras regiment, and a tank troop (consisting of 3 tanks).[1] On 21 September, this force crossed the border and attacked Dali, which was protected by a single company consisting of some 100 soldiers. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Pakistani defenders put up a fierce resistance, which stalled the Indians for most of the day. The company also managed to alert Brigadier Azhar Khan, the commander of 18 Punjab who had recently captured the Indian town of Munabao to the north. He turned his unit around from Munabao and approached Dali from the north.[1]
In the meantime, the battle at Dali continued. On the evening of 21 September, the Indians finally managed to drive out the lone Pakistani company defending the village, who retreated to the nearby town of Khinsar.[1] This success was short-lived however, as 18 Punjab arrived the following morning and the fighting reignited. After a brief battle, the Indians were defeated with heavy casualties. Many were captured by Pakistan while the rest fled back to the border.[1][2]
Casualties & Losses
[change | change source]The battle claimed the lives of 97 Indian soldiers and 82 more were wounded. 180 were captured by Pakistan, including at least 7 officers.[1][2] All 3 Indian tanks were captured in working condition with minimal damage.[3] Pakistani losses were few by comparison, with 38 killed and 53 wounded.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Imran (2019-10-22). "The lost graves of Munabao". MANI JUNCTION. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 www.webspider.pk, Web Spider (pvt) Ltd. "Glorious September: 1965 War". www.hilal.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 2023-07-18. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ↑ "PAK INDIA 1965 WAR". www.pakistanarmy.biz.tc. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
_Armoured_Squadron,_seized_by_the_Pakistani_18%E1%B5%97%CA%B0_Punjab,_on_21/09/65,_while_recapturing_Dali.png){kind=link}