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{{Short description|Second battle of Kamalpur}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Defence of Kamalpur
| partof = the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
| date = 14 November – 4 December 1971<ref name="Nasim2002">{{harvnb|A. S. M. Nasim|2002|p=255}}</ref>
| place = Kamalpur-border area in Northern [[Bangladesh]]
| result = *[[India]]-[[Bangladesh]] victory
*Pakistani troops were instructed to surrender on the radio after defending the area for 21 days
| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Bangladesh|1971}} [[Bangladesh]]<br/> {{flagicon|India}} [[India]]
| combatant2 ={{flagicon|Pakistan}} [[Pakistan]]
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Bangladesh|1971}} Major [[Abu Taher]]<br/>{{flagicon|India}} Brigadier Hardev Singh Kler<br/>{{flagicon|India}} Maj Gen Gurbax Singh
| commander2 = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} Captain [[Ahsan Malik]]
| units1 = *Sector 11, [[Mukti Bahini]]
*95 [[Brigade group|Brigade Group]]
*[[Indian Air Force]]
| units2 = *31 Baloch company
| strength1 = *4,000 soldiers
*Unknown number of [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|Mig-21]]
| strength2 = 140 soldiers (70 regular soldiers + 70 para-military soldiers)<ref name="Cloughley2006p178"/><ref name="light"/>
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 = light<ref name="light">{{harvnb|Sukhwant Singh|1980|p=190|ps=: "He had put up a courageous stand throughout the siege and had surrendered after holding a brigade of besiegers for 21 days with a company strength of a mixture of Regulars, Rangers and Razakars totalling about 140 men. Hardly any casualties had been suffered as a result of the Indian artillery bombardment and air strikes."}}</ref>
}}
The '''Defence of Kamalpur''' was a second battle fought over Kamalpur near the border between [[India]] and [[East Pakistan]] (now [[Bangladesh]]) during the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]. Kamalpur, a hamlet on the border, was defended by 140 regular and [[paramilitary]] Pakistani soldiers under the command of Captain [[Ahsan Malik]]. The company-sized Pakistani unit fought against a brigade of Indian soldiers and [[Mukti Bahini]] as the Indian military made several unsuccessful attempts to overrun the Pakistani positions.<ref name="unsuccessful">{{harvnb|Sukhwant Singh|1980|p=188|ps=: "The third attack met the same fate. The failure of two successive attacks and the resultant casualties dispirited the attacking troops, and the higher command developed second thoughts about Kler's ability to handle live operations."}}</ref> After defending the area for 21 days, the besieged Pakistani troops were ordered by their superiors to surrender.<ref name="Cloughley2006p179">{{harvnb|Brian Cloughley|2006|p=179}}</ref> The defending Pakistani troops suffered hardly any casualties, despite being subjected to repeated Indian artillery bombardment and air strikes.<ref name="light"/>

==Start of hostilities==

Attacks against Pakistani border outposts in the north began in July. These were mounted by [[Mukti Bahini]], mainly former members of East Pakistan's regular forces, but failed to make any damage. Further attacks on Kamalpur, a kilometre from the border, continued on 22 October and 14 November, the latter being carried out by the [[Indian Army]]'s 13th Battalion, [[Brigade of the Guards]] (of Kler's brigade), which established blocking positions to the south. Malik was cut off and his CO, Lt. Col. Sultan Ahmed tried to relieve him and the other two outposts (Naqshi and Baromari, to the east) without success. On 29 November Major Ayub of 31 Baloch tried to resupply Malik's tiny garrison but failed.

== Unsuccessful siege of Indian Army ==
Kler tried to take [[Battle of Kamalpur|Kamalpur on the run, using Mukti Bahini]] troops, but failed.<ref name="Cloughley2006p178">{{harvnb|Brian Cloughley|2006|p=178}}</ref> Later, Kler made two more attempts to overrun the Pakistani troops positions in Kamalpur, but likewise unsuccessfully.<ref name="unsuccessful"/> He then decided to mount an attack by the 1st Battalion, [[Maratha Light Infantry]] on the forty men and four 120 mm mortars of 83 Mortar Battery belonging to Pakistan Army. 1st Battalion of [[Maratha Light Infantry]] successfully overran them, suffering one casualty. Kler then "decided to lay siege to Kamalpur and break down its will to resist", according to Gen. Sukhwant Singh.<ref>{{harvnb|Sukhwant Singh|1980|p=187}}</ref> After laying the siege, Kler launched a third attack on Pakistani positions in Kamalpur. However, the third attack met the same fate as previous two unsuccessful attacks. Failure of the third attack and resulting casualties had dispirited the attacking troops, and the higher command had developed second thought about Kler ability to handle live operations.<ref name="unsuccessful"/> Getting wary because of casualties, successive failures and demoralisation among the attacking troops, Kler decided to starve out the garrison by a prolonged siege.<ref name="Cloughley2006p179"/> Sukhwant Singh knew that there was no Pakistani artillery in this sector, only two troops of mortars, but states that "Kler was further handicapped inasmuch as one of his battalions had just been organised from an 1 (sic) battalion, raised initially for counterinsurgency with no support elements. In tackling a weak platoon post, another battalion brought out some major weaknesses of leadership under fire. The battalion reached its objective with relatively few casualties. As expected, the enemy turned artillery fire on the objective. A mortar bomb landed on a trench occupied by four men close to the commanding officer. He saw limbs fly and lost his nerve."<ref>{{harvnb|Sukhwant Singh|1980|p=188}}</ref>

== Artillery and air strike ==

At about 09:30 on 4 December, after withdrawing his troops from close siege, Kler "hammered the post with seven sorties of [[MiG-21]]s firing rockets and cannon, and this was repeated twice later in the day".<ref name="Singh1991">{{harvnb|Lachhman Singh|1991|p=151}}</ref> Maj. Gen. Gurbux Singh (commander of the north region) himself entered affairs by sending Capt. Malik a note via a Mukti Bahini courier: "{{nbsp}}whatever you decide to do, we have every intention of eliminating Kamalpur post. It is to save you and our side casualties this message is being sent to you{{nbsp}}". He sent another note after a further air strike and this was met, as had been the other messages, by increased firing by Malik's men. But it could not go on, Malik received the order by radio to surrender, which he did at 1900 that day.

== Outcome ==

Sukhwant Singh noted, Malik "had put up a courageous stand ... and had surrendered after holding a brigade of besiegers for 21 days ... [[Sam Manekshaw|Manekshaw]] sent a personal congratulatory message to Malik, commending his defiant stand".<ref>{{harvnb|Sukhwant Singh|1980|p=190}}</ref>

Maj. Gen. Gurbux Singh decided to meet Malik personally but, while being driven towards Kamalpur by Kler, their jeep went over a mine and he was badly wounded.<ref name="Cloughley2006p179"/>

When Capt. Malik's force was taken in, it was found that his company was nearly out of ammunition, barring a few hand grenades and a few bullets each.{{cn|date=September 2022}}

==Awards==
* Captain [[Ahsan Malik]], 31 Baloch of Pakistan Army, was decorated with a [[Sitara-e-Jurrat]].

==See also==
* [[Last stand]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* {{cite book |author=Brian Cloughley |year=2006 |orig-year=First published 1999 |title=A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections |edition=3rd |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0-19-547334-5}}
* {{cite book |author=A. S. M. Nasim |author-link=Abu Saleh Mohammad Nasim |year=2002 |title=Bangladesh Fights for Independence |publisher=Columbia Prokashani |oclc=50519016}}
* {{cite book |author=Lachhman Singh |year=1991 |orig-year=First published 1981 |title=Victory in Bangladesh |edition=Revised |publisher=Natraj Publishers |oclc=28292625}}
* {{cite book |author=Sukhwant Singh |year=1980 |title=India's Wars Since Independence |volume=1 |publisher=Vikas Publishing House |isbn=0-7069-1057-5}}

{{Bangladesh Liberation War}}
{{Military of Pakistan}}

{{coord missing|Bangladesh}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamalpur, Defence}}
[[Category:Battles of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:1971 in India]]
[[Category:Aerial operations and battles involving India]]
[[Category:December 1971 events in Asia]]
[[Category:Last stands]]

Defence of Kamalpur - Revision history

Bot at 08:43, 11 October 2022