Battle of Kasur (1965)

Battle of Kasur (1965)
Part of Indo-Pakistani War of 1965

Pakistani troops firing at Indian positions from a canal
Date6–7 September 1965
Location
Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
Result

Pakistani victory

  • Main Indian attack on Kasur repelled
Belligerents
Pakistan India
Commanders and leaders
Abdul Hamid Khan Niranjan Prasad
Units involved

11th Infantry Division

  • 21 Brigade
  • 52 Brigade
  • 102 Brigade
15th Lancers
32 TDU Sqn

4th Mountain Division

Strength
10,000 troops
60 tanks		 17,000 troops
90 tanks
Casualties and losses
Unknown infantry casualties
12-17 tanks destroyed[1]		 1,100 casualties (both fatal and non-fatal)[1]
30 tanks destroyed[2]
Civilian casualties: 1,200 killed, tens of thousands displaced[3]

The Battle of Kasur was one of the largest battles of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, which took place on 6–7 September in the Pakistani city of Kasur, as part of India's aggression towards Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan and provincial capital of Punjab.

The main fighting lasted for over a day, ending with the Indian retreat on 7 September, 1965 though minor raids and skirmishes continued till the ceasefire on 23 September, 1965 and later Tashkent Declaration was signed by both countries on 10 January 1966.[3][4]

Background

Kasur is a Pakistani city located 6 kilometers from the border with India, and 49 kilometers from Lahore. In 1965, Kasur was the only major city directly involved in a battle during the war.[3][5]

The Indian plan was to attack and capture Kasur and advance to Lahore from there. This advance took place parallel to the Indian thrusts from the towns of Burki and Wagah.[6]

Strength

Pakistani defenses

Pakistan's 11th Infantry Division was in charge of defending the Kasur sector. It had two armored units: 15 Lancers (45 tanks) and 32nd TDU Squadron (15 tanks). Along the BRB Canal, two brigades were deployed - 52 Brigade and 106 Brigade. Meanwhile, the 21 Brigade was stationed at Luliani (northwest of Kasur, near the Lahore-Kasur road) and played the role of reserve forces for counter-attacks.[7][8]

The Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Canal was Pakistan's main defensive line along this front. It was formidable in terms of the South Asian subcontinent where attack across water obstacles was regarded as a risky and difficult operation.[9]

The western side of the canal had higher banks than the eastern side. This design gave Pakistani defenders a better view for firing and made it more difficult for Indian forces to cross the canal.[10]

Indian attack

India's 4th Mountain Division, made up of 7 Mountain Brigade and 62 Mountain Brigade, was given the job of capturing Kasur. The division had support from Deccan Horse and the 2nd Independent Armored Brigade. The 7 Mountain Brigade attacked Kasur from the north, while the 62 Mountain Brigade attacked from the south. Deccan Horse provided support for both attacks, and the independent armored brigade was kept in reserve.[7]

Battle

On September 6, the Indian forces crossed the border and came within 2 miles of Kasur. Around 5:00 AM, Pakistan's 11th Division quickly moved to take up defensive positions along the BRB canal as the Indian attack grew stronger. The battle started with seven hours of heavy artillery fire and multiple airstrikes, followed by India's main attack on the city. Some of the war's most intense fighting happened here, lasting the entire day.[3][7][11]

The 7 Mountain Brigade attacked from the north, targeting Ballanwala village and nearby bridges, but couldn't capture them. Meanwhile, the 62 Mountain Brigade had early success in the south, taking control of Sehjra salient and Rohi Nullah bund along the BRB Canal. However, Pakistani forces launched a strong counterattack that pushed the Indians back and regained these positions.[12][13]

By late day September 6, India's 7 Grenadiers and 13 Dogra had taken such heavy losses that they were no longer combat-effective. These devastating casualties forced India's 4th Mountain Division to call off their main attack on Kasur and pull back to the border by 7 September. Pakistani reports described this retreat as a complete failure, noting that Indian forces abandoned significant amounts of weapons and ammunition which Pakistani troops captured.[7][14][15]

Small Indian raids and airstrikes on Kasur continued till the ceasefire, though the city remained firmly in Pakistani hands.[3][11]

Aftermath and casualties

The Battle of Kasur was one of the toughest fights in the 1965 war between India and Pakistan.[11] Pakistani reports say India suffered around 1,100 casualties, including dead, injured, and captured soldiers.[16][17] Two Indian battalions—7 Grenadiers and 13 Dogra—were completely destroyed as fighting units.[7] India also lost 30 tanks,[2] while Pakistan lost between 12 and 17 tanks,[2] and an unknown number of infantry.

On September 7–8, Pakistan's 1st Armored Division struck back hard and took control of Khem Karan, an important Indian market town just 5 km from the border.[11][18] However, Pakistan's push forward was stopped when Indian forces fought back at the Battle of Asal Uttar.[19]

Civilian casualties

The war in Kasur started on September 6 when Indian troops came close to the town. For seven hours, heavy shelling destroyed buildings and killed people — a mosque fell on worshippers, and a school was badly damaged. On September 14, bombs destroyed part of the town and a factory outside it. Around 1200 people died as civilian casualties.[20][3]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Thomas M. Leonard (2006). Encyclopedia of the developing world. Taylor & Francis. pp. 806–. ISBN 978-0-415-97663-3. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Clodfelter, Micheal (24 April 2017). Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015, 4th ed. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2585-0.
  3. ^ a b c d e f TIME magazine (24 September 1965). "World: The Curious Battle of Kasur". TIME magazine. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  4. ^ "The 1965 War. A Summary by Major Amin – Brown Pundits". 6 September 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  5. ^ Riza, Shuakat (1984). The Pakistan Army: War 1965. ISBN 9788185019604.
  6. ^ "Recalling the Indo-Pak War of 1965". The Week. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e Malik, Saleem Akhtar (6 September 2018). "What happened on the Kasur front in the 1965 war?". Global Village Space. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  8. ^ Riza, Shaukat. The Pakistan Army War of 1965. pp. 212–213. ISBN 9788185019604.
  9. ^ Cloughley, Brian (1999). A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-579015-3.
  10. ^ Amin, Agha H. (January 2011). "The Battle of Lahore and Pakistans Main Attack in 1965 The Battle for Ravi-Sutlej Corridor 1965 A Strategic and Operational Analysis". Pakistan Military Review.
  11. ^ a b c d Thomas F. Brady (25 September 1965). "Indian-Pakistani Tank Battle Detailed (Indo-Pakistani war of 1965)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  12. ^ Chaudhuri, Joyanto Nath (1966). Arms, Aims and Aspects. Manaktalas.
  13. ^ Man Aman Singh Chhina (6 September 2023). "On this day, during 1965 war: When Indian Army attacked Lahore from three sides". The Indian Express newspaper. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Pakistan Claims Victories on Multiple Fronts in 1965 Indo-Pakistani War - Day 10 Update". Samaa TV News website. 10 September 2024. Archived from the original on 11 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Kasur (1965)". pakarmy.pk.tripod.com.
  16. ^ "The Pakistan Army War 1965 by Shaukat Riza (1984)". abebooks.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  17. ^ Nawaz, Shuja (2008). Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-547660-6.
  18. ^ Major General Syed Ali Hamid (6 September 2019). "Tank Battle at Khem Karan". The Friday Times newspaper. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  19. ^ Rikhye, Ravi (24 February 2002). "The Battle of Assal Uttar: Pakistan and India 1965". Pakistan Orbat. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  20. ^ Mohan, P. V. S. Jagan; Chopra, Samir (2005). The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965. Manohar. ISBN 978-81-7304-641-4.

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