Draft:Siege of Mirpur

Siege of Mirpur
Part of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948 and Kashmir conflict
Mirpur Mirpur on a map
Date Mirpur City:15 October- 25 November Mangla Mai fort:15 October-14th January 1947. Location Mirpur, Jammu and Kashmir Result Siege Successful State forces abandon Mirpur Mirpur falls to Azad army Territorial changes Mirpur becomes part of the territory administered by Pakistan, known as Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)
Belligerents
Azad Army Supported by Pakistan	Dominion of India Jammu and Kashmir
Units involved
Azad Army Tribal militias Muslim deserters Pakistani volunteers	Jammu and Kashmir State Forces Mirpur Brigade Local militias Indian Air Force
Strength
Two infantry battalions	≈ 610-560 men

The Siege of Mirpur, was a siege initiated by the Azad Kashmir Regular Force against the garrison of State of Jammu and Kashmir in the city of Mirpur beginning from 15th in 1947 during the First Kashmir War, to fight for the accession of Mirpur city. After the capture of Bhimber Azad army considered it necessary to capture Mirpur and eliminate the threat posed by Jammu and Kashmir state forces garrison present there. By 15 October Azad forces had faced attacks from Mirpur and Poonch garrisons and the Muslim troops defected from Jammu and Kashmir forces to Azad forces. The outer posts at Mirpur were eliminated and the communications with Mangla Mai fort were severed. The Azad army quickly mobilized their forces before Indian army could arrive and the state forces held on their position awaiting support from Indian army.

Captain Muhammad Khan and Captain Afzal effectively eliminated the outposts and led a attack on the town but withdrew due to heavy shelling and constant strafing by Indian air force. In meantime tribesmen and volunteers from Poonch city arrived to aid the Azad army and also brough captured ammunition and 3-inch mortars. On 20 November Azad forces attacked and got hold of south west portion of the city, however they were pushed back. On 24 November a Attack was launched by Azad army which eliminated the post present at south western part of the city and after six hours of battle at the south western side the resistance collapsed.

It was decided by the seniors of Jammu and Kashmir state forces to abandon the city and evacuate the civilians to secure area, keeping in view the depleted ammunition. At Mangla Mai the Garrison held the Azad forces from the fort for one month and twenty days, until the gate of the fort was destroyed by the bombardment of Azad forces. The garrison was surrounded and they capitulated. With the fall of Mirpur tehsil the way up to Jhangar was uncontrolled and the operations in Kotli tehsil continued after the fall. On 25 May, 1949 the prisoners of Jammu and Kashmir state forces were repatriated after being kept at Ali beg for ten months.

Background

After the capture of Bhimber Azad forces considered it necessary to capture Mirpur and eliminate the threat posed by Jammu and Kashmir state forces garrison present there. During the fall of Muzaffarabad the State troops Garrisons of Poonch Brigade stationed at Rawalakot, Poonch and Bagh faced attacks from the Azad army. On 15 October Azad forces had attacked the Mirpur and Poonch garrisons and the Muslim troops of Jammu and Kashmir state forces had defected by 18 October.

The Azad forces by now had surrounded both Poonch and Mirpur city. Due to desertion by Muslim troops of the State forces the security condition deteriorated. The situation improved in Pooch after its link by air was established, Dadyal and Chechian post was abandoned with two platoons being stationed at Phala-da-Gala to keep an eye. The Vehicle which was ordered to bring aid was ambushed and the two platoons were withdrawn to Mirpur by sending a relief team.

The withdrawal of forward platoons from Phala-da-Gala severed communication with the Mangla Mai garrison and allowed the Azad force's to advance to the outskirts of Mirpur and with this development the town was easily accessible. The Azad forces recognized their advantage depended on capturing Mirpur before reinforcements from the Indian Army could arrive, the forces quickly mobilized their forces and launched a major assault on the town on 6 November. Meanwhile, the State forces anticipated imminent support from the Indian Army and held on to their position to prevent Mirpur from falling.

Siege

The outer posts at Mirpur area had been eliminated by Azad forces and the remaining Jammu and Kashmir state forces had besieged themselves in the town of Mirpur. A relief column from Nowshera was dispatched for the Jammu and Kashmir state forces by the Indian army but was ambushed and resulted in Heavy losses and could not advance further.

Captain Muhammad Khan and Captain Afzal effectively eliminated the outposts and led a attack on the town but withdrew due to heavy shelling and constant strafing by Indian air force. In meantime tribesmen and volunteers from Poonch city arrived to aid the Azad army and also brough captured ammunition and 3-inch mortars. The Mortars were used by Azad army troops to shell at night.

On 20 November Azad forces attacked and got hold of south west portion of the city, however they were pushed back after brief skirmishes all night with the reserve forces commanded by Lieutenant Krishen Singh. The wireless set available to the garrison stopped functioning and the Indian air force did not conduct further strikes against Azad forces who then intensified their attacks.

On 24 November a Attack was launched by Azad army which eliminated the post present at south western part of the city and after six hours of battle at the south western side the resistance collapsed. Most of the city was under fire and the Azad forces continued to enter the city from the south western area and all of the posts of Jammu and Kashmir state forces were occupied with fighting. the Azad forces entered the area and eventually overwhelmed the city.

State forces abandon Mirpur city

The Azad army troops had entered the city and in response emergency signs were raised to the flying Indian jets. It was decided by the seniors of Jammu and Kashmir state forces to abandon the city and evacuate the civilians to secure area, keeping in view the depleted ammunition. Many civilians took their lives as their rumors of the abandoning the town spread and 3000 civilians incapable of making the journey were left behind at Mirpur out of the 18000 civilians and only 15000 tagged along.

The column of civilians and Jammu and Kashmir state forces began to retreat towards the city of Jhanger. A small company was left behind to stall the Azad troops with addition of two jets of the Indian air force, which bombarded Azad army positions. The column on its way faced heavy fire from an Azad army positions and scattered, after regrouping the Muslim guides were forced to lead the column. The guides would deceive and escape from the state forces and again the column was met with heavy Azad army resistance.

The Indian air force constantly gave the retreating column support by one jet after another would bombard Azad army positions, meanwhile the Column progressed. A elder Muslim would be recruited to lead the column as a guide, who mistook them for a Azad army column but would still cooperate after recognizing them. The rear guard company would remain engaged all day with Azad army troops and suffered 15 casualties on 26 November. The Column reached the city of Jhanger by 28 November.

Siege of Mangla Mai fort

From 18 October the garrison of the fort was under constant fire by Azad army troops. On 7 November a old woman took refuge in the fort and claimed that Mirpur city had fallen to the Azad army and many civilians including her family had been killed. She carried two letters, one to the commander of the troops at the fort Jemadar Khajoor Singh and the other to a civilian in the fort.

One letter was written in Urdu and the other in English by Captain Mohamed Azam, a Jammu and Kashmir state force officer, giving instructions to the garrison commander to surrender. The messages were ignored.

The Mangla garrison included Jemadar Khajoor Singh the commander of the fort, a Havildar named Ishri Singh, three others belonging to the Fort authority and 52 civilian refugees. There was an sufficient supply of gunpowder and a stock of muzzle-loaders of ancient vintage but the ammunition supply was low. It was utilized by firing through them a charge of pebbles. The water and rations of food were scarce and small groups would bring water from the river. All the withdrawal routes were blocked by the Azad forces and the fort was attacked with mortars, the Indian Air forces also ceased strafing.

On the night of 23-24 November an attempt to escape towards Mirpur was foiled and the group was spotted and some of them were captured. The garrison continued to hold the fort for one month and twenty days, until the gate of the fort was destroyed by the bombardment of Azad forces. The commander of the garrison then ordered to destroy the weapons in the fort and to escape from the fort, however the Azad forces had surrounded them. The garrison and the commander capitulated to the Azad forces and the garrison was kept in the fort for another 20 days. They were taken to Ali beg with other other 3,600 refugees at the gurdwara, two havildars attempted to escaped but were captured again and killed.

Aftermath

The Azad forces gave the authorities the cash which was present in the Mirpur treasury to further strengthen the Azad forces. At Jhangar Captain Afzal would be killed and Gobindpur in Mirpur was renamed to Afzalpur after his name. With the fall of Mirpur tehsil the way up to Jhangar was uncontrolled and the operations in Kotli tehsil continued after the fall. With the fall of outposts in the Kotli area two companies of Jammu and Kashmir forces were sent to Kotli from Rawalakot, after urgent requests for reinforcenments were received.

On 26 November 50 Para brigade returned to Jhanger from Kotli and took control of the area while the wound up Mirpur brigade was at Jhanger. A column was formed and led by the Jammu and Kashmir state forces which consisted of refugees from Mirpur, Kotli and Jhanger and moved towards Jammu on 29 November. The Red cross negotiated and 2,800 survivors were received after being kept at Ali beg for five months. The rest died due to starvation or torture, the young women were kept at separate but were subjected to Abuse by Azad army officers. On 25 May, 1949 the prisoners of Jammu and Kashmir state forces were repatriated after being kept at Ali beg for ten months.

See also

• Mirpur
• Mirpur District
• Battle of Muzaffarabad
• 1947 Gilgit rebellion
• Battle of Rawalakot
• Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948

Sources

Works cited

• Sinha, S.K. (1977). Operation Rescue Military Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-49. Vision Books. Archived from the original on 2021-01-20.
• Prasad, Sri Nandan (1987). History of Operations in Jammu & Kashmir, 1947-48. History Division, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Archived from the original on 2017-01-17.
• Saraf, Muhammad Yusuf (2015) [first published 1979 by Ferozsons], Kashmiris Fight for Freedom, Volume 2, Mirpur: National Institute Kashmir Studies, archived from the original on 2021-03-29
• Suharwardy, Abdul Haq (1983), Tragedy in Kashmir, Wajidalis
• Cheema, Amar (2014). The Crimson Chinar the Kashmir Conflict : a Politico Military Perspective. United Service Institution of India. ISBN 9788170623014. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
• Palit, D. K. (1972). Jammu and Kashmir Arms: History of the J & K Rifles. Palit & Dutt. ASIN B0006C8HKM. Archived from the original on 2000-01-20.
• Singh, K.Brahma (1990). History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956 The State Force Background (Hardcover). Lancer International. ISBN 9788170620914.
  • Singh, K. Brahma (2010) [first published Lancer International 1990], History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956: The State Force Background (PDF), brahmasingh.co.nf, ISBN 978-81-7062-091-4, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2016

Further reading

• Riza, Shaukat (1997). The Pakistan Army 1947-1949. natraj publishers. ISBN 978-8185019635.
• Ankit, Rakesh (2010). "1948: The Crucial Year in the History of Jammu and Kashmir". Economic and Political Weekly. 45 (11): 49–58. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 25664224 – via JSTOR.
• Sen, L. P. (1994). Slender was the Thread: Kashmir Confrontation 1947-1948. Sangam Books Limited. ISBN 9780861316922.