Jump to content

Draft:Siege of Mirpur

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Rahim231 (talk | contribs) at 08:18, 15 December 2024 (Added citations and expansion). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Siege of Mirpur
Part of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948 and Kashmir conflict
Mirpur on a Map
Mirpur
Mirpur

Mirpur on a map
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
Pakistan Pakistan Jammu and Kashmir
Units involved

Azad Kashmir Azad Army[a]

  • Tribal militias
  • Pakistani volunteers

Jammu and Kashmir State Forces

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 in 1947 during the First Kashmir War, to fight for the accession of Mirpur city from Dogra rule.

Prelude

During the fall of Muzaffarabad the State troops Garrisons of Poonch Brigade stationed at Rawalakot, Poonch and Bagh faced attacks from the Azad army. Due to desertion by Muslim troops of the State forces the security condition deteriorated.[1] 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 The Vehicle which was ordered to bring aid was ambushed and the two platoons were withdrawn to Mirpur by sending a relief team.[2]

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.[2] 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.[2]

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.[3]

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.[3] 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.[3]

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 and 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.[4] 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.[4][5]

The column of civilians and Jammu and Kashmir state forces began to retreat towards the city of Jhanger.[4] 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.[4] 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.[4][3]

The Indian air force constantly gave the retreating column support by one jet after another would bombard Azad army positions, meanwhile the Column progressed.[3] 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.[6] 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.[6]

Siege of Mangla Mai fort

From 18 October the garrison of the fort was under constant fire by Azad army troops.[7] 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.[7]

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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[9] 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.[9] 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.[9]

Aftermath

With the fall of Mirpur tehsil the way up to Jhangar was free. The Azad forces gave the authorities the cash which was present in the Mirpur treasury to further strengthen the Azad forces. Later at Jhangar Captain Afzal would be killed and Gobindpur in Mirpur was renamed to Afzalpur after his name.[3] The operations in Kotli tehsil continued after the fall of Mirpur. After the fall of outposts in the Kotli area two companies of Jammu and Kashmir forces were sent after urgent requests for reinforcenments to Kotli from Rawalakot.[10]

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.[9]

See also

Sources

Notes

  1. ^ Also referred to as the Mujahideen

Citations

  1. ^ Singh (2010), p. 235
  2. ^ a b c Singh (2010), p. 243
  3. ^ a b c d e f Suharwardy (1983), p. 144
  4. ^ a b c d e Palit (1972), p. 173
  5. ^ Singh (2010), p. 248
  6. ^ a b Palit (1972), p. 173
  7. ^ a b c Palit (1972), p. 169
  8. ^ Singh (2010), p. 249
  9. ^ a b c d e Palit (1972), p. 170
  10. ^ Palit (1972), p. 174

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
  • 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.
  • 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.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Siege_of_Mirpur&oldid=1263203186"