In the years following the Kargil war of 1999, tensions between India and Pakistan refused to abate. Worse was to follow when in 2001, a deadly attack by terrorists on India’s parliament led to a formidable mobilisation of India’s armed forces to the Pakistan border. An edgy standoff followed. In response, the Pakistan army moved around 150,000 troops into the region opposite India’s Chhamb area. A cause of concern, the Pakistani plan was an expected one, rooted in an interesting chapter from history.
In 1965, three years after India’s disastrous defeat to China, Pakistan decided to attack India. Pakistan’s president General Ayub Khan was eyeing a soft spot that held the potential of a quick victory. The Indian town of Akhnur lay on an axis that connected Kashmir with the rest of the country. Ayub knew that Akhnur’s capture would weaken India’s ability to dislodge occupying Pakistani forces and could cut off Kashmir from the rest of India.
How did the Indian army keep Pakistan and China at bay? Read here.
