Battle of Hilli
The First and Second Battles of Hilli were two major battles fought during the Bangladesh Liberation War on 22–24 November and 10–11 December 1971. They are generally regarded as the bloodiest battles of the eastern front of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The first battle saw, according to veterans of the battle, the fiercest fighting of the war, but the second was much tamer.
| Battle of Hilli | |||||||||
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| Part of Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 | |||||||||
Major Niazi of 31 Punjab regiment surrendering to Lt Col V.R. Swaminathan of 22 Maratha Light infantry after the battle of Hilli/Bogra on 16 December 1971 | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
India (22 November –18 December 1971) |
Pakistan
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Major Kazi Nuruzzaman, Commander Sector VII Maj. Gen. Lachhman Singh Lehl, CO 20th Mountain Division Brigadier Farhad Batti, CO 202nd Mountain Brigade Lt. Col. Shamsher Singh, CO 8 Grenadiers | Brigadier Tajammul Hussain Malik (POW), acting-CO 205th Infantry Brigade | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
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First Battle, 23-24 November
Second Battle, 10-11 December
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First and Second Battles
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| Strength | |||||||||
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Total First Battle Second Battle |
Total First and Second Battle | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
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First Battle 196 KIA/WIA Second Battle20 KIA/WIA |
First Battle 20 KIA 3 POW 2 M24 Chaffees destroyed 3 105mm howitzers destroyed | ||||||||
The Indian objective was to capture a network of Pakistani fortifications centred around the village of Hilli to allow for an advance on the town of Bogra.