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{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict = Battle of Kasur (1965)
| place = [[Kasur]], [[Punjab, Pakistan]]
| partof = [[Lahore Front]], of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
| date = 6–7 September 1965
| result = Pakistani victory
* Main Indian attack on Kasur repelled
| combatant1 = {{flag|Pakistan}}
| combatant2 = {{flag|India}}
| units1 = 11th Division 
* 21 Brigade
* 52 Brigade
* 102 Brigade
15 Lancers 32 TDU Sqdn.
| units2 = 4th Mountain Division 
* 7 Mountain Brigade
* 62 Mountain Brigade
Deccan Horse 2 Ind. Armored Brigade
| strength1 = 10,000 troops 60 tanks
| strength2 = 17,000 troops 90 tanks
| casualties1 = Unknown infantry casualties 12-17 tanks destroyed
| casualties2 = 1,100 casualties (both fatal and non-fatal) 30 tanks destroyed
| notes = Civilian casualties: 1,200 killed, tens of thousands displaced
| commander1 = {{flagicon|Pakistan|army}} [[Major general|Maj. Gen.]] [[Abdul Hamid Khan (general)|Abdul Hamid Khan]]
| commander2 = unknown
| image = 1965 War.jpg
| caption = Pakistani troops firing at Indian positions from a canal
}}
{{Campaignbox Indo-Pakistani War of 1965}}
The '''Battle of Kasur''' was one of the largest battles of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. It took place on 6–7 September in the Pakistani city of [[Kasur]], as part of India's multi-pronged advance towards [[Lahore]], the second largest city of [[Pakistan]] and provincial capital of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]]. Main fighting lasted for over a day, ending with the Indian retreat on 7 September, though minor raids and skirmishes continued till the ceasefire on 23 September.

== Background ==
[[Kasur]] is a Pakistani city located 6 kilometers from the border with [[India]], and 49 kilometers (37 miles) south-east of [[Lahore]]. In 1965, it had a population of over 100,000, making Kasur the only major city directly involved in a battle during the war.<ref name=":1" />

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 Burki and [[Wagah]].

== Strength ==

=== Pakistani defenses ===
Pakistan's 11th Division, with [[15th Lancers|15 Lancers]] (45 tanks) and 32nd TDU Squadron (15 tanks), was responsible for the defense of the Kasur sector. 52 Brigade and 106 Brigade were positioned along the [[Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal|BRB canal,]] while 21 Brigade was located at Luliani (north-west of Kasur, along the Lahore-Kasur road) and was 11 Division's reserve for the counter-attack.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Saleem Akhtar |title=What happened on the Kasur front in the 1965 war? |url=https://www.globalvillagespace.com/what-happened-on-the-kasur-front-in-the-1965-war/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Global Village Space |language=en-GB}}</ref> The [[Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian Canal|Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Canal]] was Pakistan's main defensive line along this front. It was approximately five metres deep and 45 metres wide and was a “complete water obstacle”, formidable in terms of the [[South Asian Subcontinent|South Asian subcontinent]] where attack across water obstacles was regarded as a risky and difficult operation. The western banks of the canal were higher than the eastern banks, designed specifically to give the Pakistani defenders a good firing view and to make crossing difficult for the attacking Indians.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Amin |first=Agha H. |title=The Battle of Lahore and Pakistans Main Attack in 1965 The Battle for Ravi-Sutlej Corridor 1965 A Strategic and Operational Analysis |url=https://www.academia.edu/42989267/The_Battle_of_Lahore_and_Pakistans_Main_Attack_in_1965_The_Battle_for_Ravi_Sutlej_Corridor_1965_A_Strategic_and_Operational_Analysis |journal=Pakistan Military Review}}</ref>

=== Indian attack ===
India's 4th Mountain Division, consisting of 7 and 62 Mountain Brigades, and supported by Deccan Horse and the 2nd Independent Armored Brigade, were tasked with capturing Kasur. The 7 Mountain Brigade attacked Kasur from the north while the 62 Mountain Brigade attacked from the south. Both attacks were supported by the Deccan Horse, while the independent armored brigade was held in reserve.<ref name=":0" /> In total, India's attacking strength in the Kasur sector was close to 17 battalions.{{cn}}

== Battle ==
In the early morning hours of September 6, Indian forces crossed the border and advanced to within 2 miles of Kasur. At around 0500 hours, Pakistani 11 Division units hurried up to occupy their defensive positions along the BRB canal just as the Indian offensive was gaining momentum.<ref name=":0" /> The battle began with a seven hour long artillery bombardment and numerous airstrikes, after which India launched their main assault on the city.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=World: The Curious Battle of Kasur |language=en-US |work=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,834346-1,00.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> The battle witnessed some of the heaviest fighting in the war, which continued throughout the day.<ref name=":0" />

The 7 Mountain Brigade, advancing from the north, attacked the outskirt village of Ballanwala and the bridges to its north, but failed to capture them. To the south, the 62 Mountain Brigade saw initial success, and captured its designated targets of Sehjra salient and Rohi Nullah bund, both along the BRB Canal. However, an effective Pakistani counterattack managed to recover these positions and throw the Indians back.

By the end of 6 September, India's 7 Grenadiers (from 7 Mountain Brigade) and 13 Dogra (62 Mountain Brigade) had suffered such heavy casualties that they ceased to exist as effective units altogether.<ref name=":0" /> These losses forced the 4th Mountain Division to abandon the main attack on Kasur and retreat back to the border on 7 September. According to Pakistani accounts, the withdrawal of the 4th Mountain Division was 'a debacle', and a large cache of ammunition and weapons was left behind which was seized by Pakistan.{{cn}}

Small Indian raids and airstrikes on Kasur continued till the ceasefire, though the city remained firmly in Pakistani hands.<ref name=":1" />

== Aftermath & Casualties ==
The Battle of Kasur saw some of the heaviest fighting in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]. According to Pakistani sources, Indian casualties were nearly 1100 including killed, wounded, captured or missing.{{cn}} At least 2 Indian battalions (7 Grenadiers and 13 Dogra) ceased to exist as functional units following the battle.<ref name=":0" /> India also lost 30 tanks in the battle,<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Clodfelter |first=Micheal |url=https://books.google.com.pk/books?id=kNzCDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA600&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492-2015, 4th ed. |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-2585-0 |language=en}}</ref> while Pakistani losses were 12-17 tanks<ref name=":3" /> and an unknown number of infantry.

On September 7–8, Pakistan's 1st Armored Division launched a large counterattack and captured [[Khemkaran|Khem Karan]],{{cn}} a prominent Indian trading town located 5 kilometers from the Pakistani border. Further Pakistani advance was checked at the [[Battle of Asal Uttar]].

== Civilian casualties ==
Indian artillery and aerial bombing inflicted heavy casualties on the civilian population of Kasur. On September 7, Indian air raids caused a [[mosque]] to collapse on its worshippers, and a [[American Protestant|US Protestant]] [[mission school]] was badly damaged. In the ensuing chaos, many people were trampled by stampeding buffalos.<ref name=":1" /> On September 14, an Indian [[Canberra bomber]] blew up a two-block area and a factory complex with thousand-pound bombs. The city was hit almost daily by Indian jets firing 20-mm shells. In total, an estimated 1200 civilians were killed, and tens of thousands fled to the Punjabi countryside.<ref name=":1" />

== See also ==

* [[Lahore Front]]
* [[Pathankot airstrike]]
* [[Battle of Chawinda]]
* [[Battle of Asal Uttar]]
* [[Battle of Chumb (1965)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kasur, Battle of, (1965)}}
[[Category:Battles of Indo-Pakistani wars]]
[[Category:Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Tank battles involving Pakistan]]
[[Category:Tank battles involving India]]
[[Category:Battles in 1965]]
[[Category:Military history of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Military history of India]]
[[Category:20th-century battles]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 1965]]

Battle of Kasur (1965) - Revision history

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