Key Points

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On the occasion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed war veterans at South Block, New Delhi and paid tribute to their courage and sacrifice.

Speaking to ANI, Colonel H.C. Sharma (Retd.) of the 13 Punjab Regiment recalled the fierce battle for Dograi, an industrial town near Lahore that was heavily fortified by Pakistani forces during the 1965 war.

Sharing his first-hand experience from the battlefield, Sharma said, "Our company had already crossed the starting line, but the enemy was hidden in concrete pillboxes and opened continuous fire, halting our advance," Sharma recounted. "In the darkness we could not effectively target their positions, I requested tank support. Our CO ordered us to hold for some time. Having crossed the line, our only choices were to fight or perish."

After two tense hours, Indian tanks arrived, enabling the regiment to push forward. "We pressed the attack and captured Dograi. In that operation, we seized two Pakistani tanks, seven machine guns, and several other weapons," Sharma added.

Retired Honorary Captain Jagdhir Singh of the 52-Mountain Regiment, who was deployed in the Tithwal sector, speaking to ANI, recalled the intense battles during the Indo-Pak war of 1965.

"The Pakistani PT Ground Post was positioned in Tithwal. Our regiment provided artillery fire support as the 1 Sikh Alpha Company launched a midnight assault to capture it. The enemy counterattacked but was repelled. From our position, we had a clear view of the Kishanganga river suspension bridge, which was vital for enemy supplies. Our regiment destroyed it with rocket launchers, cutting off supplies to Sanjoi, Mirpur, and nearby posts," Singh recounted.

Singh further noted the follow-up actions and said, "On September 2-3, the Gorkha Battalion attacked Sanjoi post with heavy shelling, inflicting heavy casualties and seizing large quantities of ammunition. The enemy fled to Mirpur village, but by September 10-11, our Gorkhas had captured it too. For our courage, our regiment received a commendation from the Chief of Army Staff."

Recounting the 1965 India-Pakistan War, Major Sudarshan Singh (Retd.) of the 1 Dogra Regiment described how Indian troops destroyed Pakistani battle tanks. "One night, our Commanding Officer received intelligence that 14 Pakistani tanks had gathered in Harwar. They usually did not move at night and would assemble in one location," Sudarshan Singh recalled.

Speaking to ANI, Singh described how the regiment used the terrain to their advantage.

"A canal flowed nearby, which we breached to flood the area, immobilising the tanks. As they tried to withdraw, our platoon opened fire. The enemy abandoned their tanks and fled, after which we destroyed their armour with artillery fire," he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday interacted with the brave veterans and the families of the fallen heroes of the 1965 war at an event organised by the Army at South Block, New Delhi, to commemorate the diamond jubilee of India's victory over Pakistan.

According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, in his address, Singh paid glowing tributes to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty 60 years ago and ensured that India emerged victorious."Pakistan thought it could frighten us through infiltration, guerrilla tactics and surprise attacks, but little did it know that every Indian soldier serves the motherland with the feeling that the sovereignty and integrity of the nation will never be compromised at any cost," the Defence Minister said.

Singh highlighted the unmatched bravery and patriotism displayed by the Indian soldiers during various battles fought during the 1965 war, including the Battle of Asal Uttar, Battle of Chawinda and Battle of Phillora.

He made special mention of the indomitable spirit and valour of Param Vir Chakra awardee Company Quarter Master Havildar Abdul Hamid, who laid down his life while destroying numerous enemy tanks under a relentless barrage of machine gun and tank fire during the Battle of Asal Uttar.

- ANI