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The '''Siege of Skardu''' was a prolonged military [[blockade]] carried out by the [[Gilgit Scouts]], [[Chitral Scouts]] and [[Chitral Bodyguard|Chitral State Bodyguards]], acting in coordination against [[Jammu & Kashmir Rifles|Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]] and the [[Indian Army]] in the town of [[Skardu]], during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective|last=VSM|first=Brig Amar Cheema|date=2015-03-31|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=9788170623014|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l9tBQAAQBAJ|title=Gilgit Rebelion: The Major Who Mutinied Over Partition of India|last=Brown|first=William|date=2014-11-30|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781473821873|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947|last=(Retd)|first=Col J. Francis|date=2013-08-30|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789382652175|language=en}}</ref>
The '''Siege of Skardu''' was a prolonged military [[blockade]] carried out by the [[Gilgit Scouts]], [[Chitral Scouts]] and [[Chitral Bodyguard|Chitral State Bodyguards]], acting in coordination against [[Jammu & Kashmir Rifles|Jammu and Kashmir State Forces]] and the [[Indian Army]] in the town of [[Skardu]], during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective|last=VSM|first=Brig Amar Cheema|date=2015-03-31|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=9788170623014|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l9tBQAAQBAJ|title=Gilgit Rebelion: The Major Who Mutinied Over Partition of India|last=Brown|first=William|date=2014-11-30|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781473821873|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947|last=(Retd)|first=Col J. Francis|date=2013-08-30|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789382652175|language=en}}</ref>

Revision as of 15:17, 15 March 2022

The Siege of Skardu was a prolonged military blockade carried out by the Gilgit Scouts, Chitral Scouts and Chitral State Bodyguards, acting in coordination against Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and the Indian Army in the town of Skardu, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.[3][4][5]

Background

Under Major W.A. Brown and Captain Matheson, the Gilgit Scouts had revolted on 31 October 1947, by unfurling the Pakistani flag, in response to Maharaja Hari Singh's accession to India. This prompted the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.[6][7][8]

Siege of Skardu

In November 1947 the situation in the Astore and Skardu was precarious. The Gilgit Scouts were retreating and the Indian forces had made a considerable advance across the Burzil Pass. The ruler of Chitral, Muzaffar ul-Mulk who had recently acceded to Pakistan sent the State Bodyguard's and Chitral Scouts to assist the Gilgit Scouts. Together they relieved the Karmi and Domel sector and headed towards Skardu in large number.[9]

When Muslims soldiers of 6 Jammu and Kashmir State Forces defected and killed Sikh soldiers, Major Sher Jung Thapa, stationed at Leh, was promoted as Lieut. Colonel and asked to proceed to Skardu for its defence. On reaching Skardu on 3 December, he realised that his position was untenable and immediately sought permission to withdraw the garrison and the civil administration to Kargil and also requested reinforcements. The request for withdrawal was turned down and he was asked "to hold to last man and last round". The Indian forces, along with the non-Muslim civil population of Skardu, withdrew into the Skardu Fort where they were besieged by volunteers from Chitral.[10] Thus began the defence of Skardu.[11]

Meanwhile, Srinagar, under the control of the Indian Army, assembled 3 successive Skardu relief columns, but they were not successful in reaching Skardu. With Gilgit under Pakistan’s control and absence of any effective relief, including air dropping of ammunition, it was a matter of time before the end neared. On 11 February 1948, the Pakistani forces battled with the Skardu garrison of the fort. After a six-hour-long battle between the two, the attackers retreated. They came again on 14 February directing "harassing fire into the fort".[12]

By mid-August 1948, the Skardu garrison was in beggarly shape and the Kashmir forces left the fort in small batches on 13 August 1948. On 14 August 1948, outnumbered five to one, and with the last box of the reserve ammunition used, the garrison surrendered.[13][14] All the remaining men were reportedly killed by the invaders, except for Col. Thapa and his Sikh orderly, who were taken prisoner.[15][12] Skardu became part of the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, eventually renamed Gilgit-Baltistan.

References

  1. ^ "The Battle of Skardu". The Tribune (India).
  2. ^ Khanduri, Chandra B. (1 January 2006). Thimayya: An Amazing Life. Knowledge World. ISBN 9788187966364.
  3. ^ VSM, Brig Amar Cheema (31 March 2015). The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective. Lancer Publishers. ISBN 9788170623014.
  4. ^ Brown, William (30 November 2014). Gilgit Rebelion: The Major Who Mutinied Over Partition of India. Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473821873.
  5. ^ (Retd), Col J. Francis (30 August 2013). Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789382652175.
  6. ^ Gulati, M. N. (1 January 2000). Military Plight of Pakistan: Indo-Pak War, 1947-48. Manas Publications. ISBN 9788170491231.
  7. ^ The Pakistan Review. Ferozsons Limited. 1 January 1963.
  8. ^ Baloch, Sikandar Khan (1 January 2004). In the Wonderland of Asia, Gilgit & Baltistan. Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 9789693516142.
  9. ^ Cheema, Aamir Mushtaq (2014). An Illustrated History of the Chitral Scouts (1903-2014). War Studies. p. 44.
  10. ^ India (1 January 1959). India, 1947-50: External affairs. Oxford University Press. p. 493.
  11. ^ "Defenders of Skardu". Tribune India. 19 August 2015.
  12. ^ a b B. Chakravorty. Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners. Allied Publishers. pp. 352–353. ISBN 9788170235163.
  13. ^ "The Battle of Skardu". The Tribune (India).
  14. ^ Khanduri, Chandra B. (1 January 2006). Thimayya: An Amazing Life. Knowledge World. ISBN 9788187966364.
  15. ^ J Francis. Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. pp. 26–27. ISBN 9789382652175.
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