Iftikhar Janjua
| Iftikhar Khan Janjua | |
|---|---|
| Died | December 9, 1971 Kashmir |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Service/branch |  Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1971 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | 10th Battalion The Baloch Regiment |
| Commands held | 10 Baloch 6 Brigade 6 Armoured Division 23 Division |
| Battles/wars | World War II (North Africa, Sicily, Italy & Greece) Rann of Kutch 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 |
| Awards | Hilal-e-Jurat & Bar, Sitara-i-Pakistan, Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam |
Brigadier Iftikhar Khan Janjua, HJ & Bar, SPk, SQA, (Urdu: افتخار خان جنجوعہ) (died December 9, 1971) of the Pakistan Army is the most senior Pakistani officer to have been killed in action. He is known in Pakistan as the hero of Rann of Kutch, as he was a brigadier in command of 6 Brigade, during the fighting in April 1965 prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He died in a helicopter crash, in Kashmir, while in command of 23 Infantry Division during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
Contents |
[edit] 1971 War
In the 1971 War, Janjua was divisional commander of 23 Infantry Division. He was assigned the task of capturing Chhamb, a strategically important town in Kashmir. The fighting around Chhamb was intensely fierce and took toll on both the advancng Pakistani troops and the fiercely resisting Indian regiments. On 9 December 1971, the first Pakistani troops entered Chhamb under the personal supervision of Janjua. His bold personality traits and willingness to be among his troops exuded a lot of confidence in his ranks. In the middle of fighting, on 9 December 1971, Janjua was killed when the light helicopter (OH-13S (Sioux) in which he was travelling in was attacked by Indian troops.[1] He was badly burned and was evacuated to Combined Military Hospital Kharian Cantt. Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road is named after him in Rawalpindi, Cannt.
[edit] Additional
- He remains to date the only serving Pakistani army general to have died in combat.
[edit] Further reading
- John H. Gill, An Atlas of the 1971 India - Pakistan War:The Creation of Bangladesh, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, accessed at [1] July 25, 2006 - pp. 46–47 mention death of Iftikhar Janjua.
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- Pakdef.info Conflict in the Rann of Kutch: A trial of strength by Lt Gen (retd) Kamal Matinuddin
- Defence Journal The Battle of Chamb 1971 by Major Agha Humayun Amin
