Marking a moment of wartime history, the Indian Air Force on Wednesday shared a set of archival photographs on X, offering a rare glimpse into air operations conducted inside East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The images capture the strikes executed during IAF’s early battlefield actions in the Western Front offensive.
The 1971 war between India and Pakistan broke out on December 3 after Pakistan launched preemptive air strikes on multiple Indian air bases, even as the turmoil in East Pakistan intensified. The 13-day conflict concluded on December 16 with the surrender of nearly 93,000 Pakistani troops, marking one of the largest military surrenders since World War II and leading to the birth of Bangladesh as an independent nation.
“On the third day of the 1971 war, the IAF was everywhere the enemy looked — and many places where they didn’t expect. A strike on the Sakesar radar blinded Pakistan’s vital Western air defences for two days. Hunters tore through Drigh Road and Karachi, smashing storage hangars. Canberras kept up relentless pressure, delivering 1,44,000 lbs of ordnance across four major airfields,” the post read. The IAF also recalled the famous Battle of Longewala, fought from December 4 to 7, 1971, in Rajasthan’s Longewala sector. Often deemed as a defining moment in the 1971 war, an outnumbered Indian contingent held its ground against a major armoured offensive by Pakistani forces.
“Four Hunters rewrote history—shattering an enemy armoured push and leaving behind 27 destroyed and 10 damaged tanks. Jaisalmer stood safe because air power arrived when it mattered,” it further said “Across the West, 132 missions were flown, with An-12s and Canberras raining devastation on enemy concentrations. In the East, with the PAF grounded, 104 offensive sorties cleared the path for the Army’s rapid advance,” it added. Highlighting key air battles and strategic strikes that shaped the course of the conflict. “On 06 Dec 1971, the IAF struck hard—again,” the force said, noting that 22 Counter Air missions were launched to hit multiple Pakistan Air Force (PAF) airfields.
According to the IAF, Hunter aircraft also targeted the strategic oil tanks at Attock, delivering a significant blow to Pakistan’s fuel reserves. The statement recalled what it described as “a proud moment” in Rajasthan, where the indigenous HF-24 Marut aircraft achieved a rare Sabre kill, calling it “an unforgettable milestone in Indian aviation.” With the PAF “mostly pushed back in the West and absent in the East,” the IAF said the campaign swiftly pivoted to supporting the ground battle. More than 150 sorties were flown in Sindh and 93 in the Eastern theatre, while 44 air defence missions patrolled the skies over the Samba sector to protect advancing troops. “The PAF stayed away— the air picture had decisively changed,” the IAF noted, describing the campaign as “balanced, swift, relentless.
” The force added that the air battle “took a sharp turn” on December 8 as it shifted tactics. Fighters climbed to higher altitudes to draw the PAF into engagement, though the enemy “largely remained silent.” Despite this, the IAF pressed ahead, striking Murid and Chaklala once again and delivering another heavy blow to the Attock oil refinery.
In the East, the IAF asserted that “the sky belonged entirely to us,” with 55 sorties targeting enemy ground positions and reconnaissance missions helping the Army’s rapid advance On the Western front, 118 Air–Land Operations sorties were flown, concentrating on Chhamb— where Pakistani forces were regrouping across the Munawwar Tawi—as well as the Shakargarh bulge and areas between Dera Baba Nanak and Fort Abbas. Even after nightfall, the strikes continued, with Canberra bombers and An-12 aircraft “keeping the night sky alive,” the IAF said.
