Battle of Basantar

Battle of Basantar/Shakargarh
Part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indian soldiers celebrate their victory at the end of the Battle of Basantar on top of a knocked out Pakistani M47 Patton tank, December 1971.
Date December 6–16, 1971 (1 week and 3 days) Location Shakargarh salient, Punjab, Pakistan Result Indian victory
Belligerents
India	Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
K K Singh WAG Pinto A S Vaidya MVC	Irshad Ahmad Khan Abdul Ali Malik Sharbat Ali Changezi
Strength
3 infantry divisions 2 armoured brigades 2 artillery brigades 2 engineer brigades[1]	3 infantry divisions 1 armoured division 1 armoured brigade[1]
Casualties and losses
13 tanks destroyed	48 tanks destroyed[2][3]

The Battle of Basantar, also known as the Battle of Shakargarh or Battle of Barapind (December 4–16, 1971), was one of the vital battles fought as part of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 in the western sector of India. The Indian troops won a hard-fought battle that secured this area in the Punjab/Jammu sector. The name Battle of Basantar actually encompasses the entire gamut of battles and skirmishes fought in the Shakargarh sector.^[1][4]