Airstrikes stalled Pak tanks in ’71: IAF Chief

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 25

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria today said the IAF offensive during the 1971 war stalled the armoured thrust of Pakistan along the western frontier while the air effort helped the Indian Army “leapfrog” across the eastern sector.

The IAF Chief was speaking at a seminar organised by Think-tank Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS) on “50 Years of Indo-Pak War: Victory in the Air”.

He said in the Shakargarh sector, Fazilka and across, the Pakistan army thrust was stopped and rail tracks were destroyed in strikes. At Laungewala, IAF jets destroyed a tank regiment of Pakistan, he added.

IAF strikes in Mianwali and Peshawar were the deepest ones in the enemy territory. In the east, air effort helped the Army leapfrog ahead. Though he did not name it, he was clearly referring to crossing the Meghna river in east Pakistan using helicopters.

4-day Malabar exercise from today

New Delhi: The Navies of India, US Australia and Japan will conduct a special operation exercise as a part of the annual exercise named ‘Malabar-21’ which starts on Thursday off Guam, an island territory of the US, 2500 km east of the Philippines. tns