Indian 67th Brigade at the Battle of Fazilka 1965
v. 1.1 April 7, 2002

Ravi Rikhye

With thanks to Major A.H. Amin for additional information on Pakistan forces.

Source: 1965 War: Role of Tanks in India-Pakistan War by Lt. Col. (Retired) Dr. Bhupinder Singh, BC Publishers, Patiala 147001, Punjab, India. 1982.

For India this sector was called Fazilka sector, for Pakistan it was called Suliemanke sector. Indian troops came under HQ XI Corps; Pakistani troops were controlled directly from GHQ.

Indian forces

67^th Independent Infantry Brigade Group [Brig. Bant Singh]

-         2^nd Marattha

-         3/9^th Gorkha Rifles

-         14^th Punjab

-         61^st Cavalry (armored cars)

-         Independent Squadron, 14^th Horse

-         144^th Field Artillery Regiment, Territorial Army

Also:

-         Punjab Armed Police Battalion, Firozpur

-         Punjab Armed Police Battalion, Madot

-         Punjab Armed Police Battalion, Jalalabad

-         Punjab Armed Police Battalion, Fazilka

-         Rajasthan Armed Police Battalion, Ganganager

-         Rajasthan Armed Police Battalion, Raisingh Nager

Lt. Col. Bhupinder Singh notes that the brigade arrived in its operational area with only one of its own battalions, other units having been shifted out. Of the units, only one infantry battalion had recent familiarity with the area. Units were under strength as personnel were on leave. Concentrating by September 5, a day before Indian XI Corps launched its offensive, the artillery regiment did not get its first line ammunition till September 7. The Brigade had no lines of small arms ammunition till that day, and was still awaiting arrival of essential stores. [The state armed police were equipped with bolt-action rifles.] One battalion was deployed at Ferozepur, to the north of the brigade.

Pakistan forces

105^th Independent Infantry Brigade [Brig. Mohammad Akbar]

-         1^st Baluch (withdrawn on September 15^th)

-         4^th Punjab [Lt.Col. Jahanzeb Arbab, later Lt.-General]

-         10^th Punjab [Lt. Col. Amir Hamza] see note

-         22^nd Punjab (arrives September 15^th, a new battalion with mainly personnel recalled from retirement)

-         Independent Armored Squadron (M-24 Honeys)

Note
Lt. Col. Amir Hamza was awarded an SJ for the battle. In 1971, he was back in the same sector as OC 105th Brigade and was awarded a bar to the SJ.

We know of only one other case in South Asian wars since 1947 where an award and a bar were given for action in the same sector: Lt. Col. C. Rimchen of India's Ladakh Scouts won an MVC in 1948 and then a bar in 1971 for action in North Ladakh. Please let us know of other possible cases.