Battle of Dograi

The Battle of Dograi^[1][2] was a military combat from 20 to 22 September 1965, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. It took place in the area of Dograi village near BRB Canal in Pakistani, Punjab.

On 6 september 1965 Indian launched a 3 prolonged attack on Lahore from 3 different axes, Indian 15th Division was attacking from Wagha.^[3] Dograi is a village 6 miles away from Wagha and 12 miles away from Lahore and on the eastern bank of BRB canal.^[4]

The 15 Indian Division advance towards Lahore from Amritsar was led by 54 Brigade, made up of 3 Jat, 15 Dogra, and 13 Punjab infantry battalions. The advance was slowed by intense Pakistani artillery. 3 Jat pushed ahead and crossed the bridge over the BRBD Canal at about 1000 PST on 6 September, but were repulsed by 3 Baluch in fierce fighting around the Bata shoe factory, and withdrew to the area of Dograi on the east bank. Throughout the day, the PAF conducted ground attack missions on elements of 15 Division with considerable effect, thus lessening the pressure on 10 Division's forward localities.^[3]

On 8 september Pakistani 22 Brigade under Qayyum Sher launched a counter attack. Indians were completely taken by surprise. The command jeep of GOC 15 (Indian) Division Maj Gen Narindar Parshad was captured and despite Indian numerical superiority had to retreat leaving behind over 200 dead and five tanks knocked out. Pakistanis recovered most of the lost territory by throwing the Indians off-balance.^[5][6]

Thereafter in between 8 to 20 september Indians launched over 20 attacks to recapture the position but theirs attempts were repulsed with heavy losses.^[3]

On 20 september Indian 3 Jat battalion advanced at night on the flanks of the Pakistani position and launched its attack. Despite the unexpected attack taking Pakistani troops by surprise, fighting was intense and fierce, initially with guns and grenades, and then with bayonets and finally with bare hands. After 27 hours of nonstop combat and flushing-out operations, the Pakistani troops fled from their positions.^[7] The Indian forces advanced until the eastern banks of the Icchogil canal, just a few hours before the UN-brokered ceasefire came into effect.^[8]

Brain Cloughley stated in his book A history of the Pakistan army about this battle:-^[9]

Over 500 men (about 250 from each side) died for the sake of a few square miles of ground

1. ↑ "The Battle Of Dograi - When The 3 Jat Battalion Sealed The Victory For India In The 1965 War". IndiaTimes. 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
2. ↑ "Battle of Dograi: Reminisces of a War Veteran". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Cloughley, Brian (2016). A history of the Pakistan army : wars and insurrections. Internet Archive. New York : Carrel Books. pp. 104–106. ISBN 978-1-63144-038-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
4. ↑ Gupta, ram Hari (1946). India Pakistan War Vol One. p. 147.
5. ↑ Riza, Shaukat (1977). The Pakistan Army War of 1965. Natraj. p. 203. ISBN 978-81-85019-60-4.
6. ↑ Imran (2019-09-27). "Dograi". MANI JUNCTION. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
7. ↑ Sharma, Gautam (1990). Valour and Sacrifice: Famous Regiments of the Indian Army. Allied Publishers. p. 171. ISBN 978-81-7023-140-0.
8. ↑ Star-News. Star-News.
9. ↑ Cloughley, Brian (2016). A history of the Pakistan army : wars and insurrections. Internet Archive. New York : Carrel Books. p. 206. ISBN 978-1-63144-038-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)