Atlas of Battles

campaign, notable, Cold War

Operation Searchlight

Operation Searchlight was a campaign fought in 1971 at East Pakistan, in what is now Bangladesh. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at East Pakistan. It was part of the Bangladesh Liberation War. The recorded result: Pakistani operational success; Arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; (see Aftermath section).

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Fought1971
WhereEast Pakistan, Bangladesh23.801N, 90.409E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomePakistani operational success; Arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman; (see Aftermath section)
BelligerentsProvisional Government of Bangladesh (Apr.–Dec.); Mukti BahiniagainstPakistan; Pakistan Armed Forces; Pakistani loyalists
Casualties and lossesMukti Bahini: unknown; ~10,000+ POWsand~6,000 KIA or wounded; Small number of POWs
Part ofBangladesh Liberation War1971

Where it sits in the Bangladesh Liberation War

Battle of Sylhet, 1971Operation Barisal, 1971Operation Searchlight, 1971Battle of Kamalpur, 1971Operation Jackpot, 1971Battle of Dhalai, 1971Battle of Chandrapur, 1971Battle of Hilli, 197119711971Operation Searchlight, 1971
9 placed engagements of the Bangladesh Liberation War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1971 (year precision)
PlaceEast Pakistan, Bangladesh
23.801N, 90.409E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Territorial changeProvisional Government of Bangladesh declares independence from Pakistan
StrengthBengali Resistance Forces: ~8,000 defected Bengali troops from East Bengal Regiment; Paramilitary Forces: ~13,000 defected East Pakistan Rifles; ~30,000+ defected East Pakistani police and Bangladesh Ansar personnel armed with.303 rifles; Reinforcements: Unknown number of ex-servicemen and civilian volunteersPakistan Army: 14th Infantry Division (approx. 18,000+ troops); 1 armoured regiment (75 M24 Chaffee tanks); Pakistan: ~3,000 East Pakistan Rifles; 1,800 East Pakistani police personnel; Pakistan Navy: 4 gunboats; 1 patrol boat; 1 destroyer; Pakistan Air Force: 20 North American Sabrejets; 3 T-33 jet trainers; 4 helicopters; 5 C-130 Hercules transport aircraft; Land Reinforcements: 9th Infantry Division; 16th Infantry Division
Casualties and lossesMukti Bahini: unknown; ~10,000+ POWs~6,000 KIA or wounded; Small number of POWs
Commanders
  • Tajuddin Ahmad
  • M. A. G. Osmani
  • Yahya Khan
  • Abdul Hamid Khan (general)
  • Tikka Khan
  • A. O. Mitha
  • Khadim Hussain Raja
  • Rao Farman Ali
Operation SearchlightOperation SearchlightOperation Hotel IntercontinentalBattle of DhalaiBattle of HilliOperation Hotel IntercontinentalBattle of DhalaiBattle of HilliKhulnaComillaMymensinghJashoreBarishalPabnaSylhetTangail100 km23.801N, 90.409E
Placed at East Pakistan; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1971

Operation Searchlight is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 16 in present-day Bangladesh.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q2985554, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Searchlight, revision 1385180679, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.