As many as 12 Indian divisions were reported on 21st November to have been deployed around East Pakistan. In addition there were 38 battalions of the Indian Border Security Force. The 2nd and 5th Indian Mountain Division, which were previously stationed in India's North-East Frontier Agency, were also moved towards East Pakistan. The 8th Mountain Division, consisting of six brigades, was brought to the East Pakistan border towards Sylhet from Nagaland, where only one brigade was left. Twelve squadrons of the Indian Air Force were placed around East Pakistan. A sizable Indian naval force comprising an aircraft carrier frigate, landing ships and two submarines was standing by near Vizagapatam, in the Bay of Bengal, posing an amphibious threat to Chittagong and Chalna ports. The approaches to Chalna port were mined by the Indian forces. As a result, two merchant ships, chartered for carrying foodgrains and other essential supplies, were damaged, seriously disrupting food supplies to East Pakistan.
That was the position on 21st November. Since then, the Indian, armed forces have continued their aggressive actions against Pakistan including the crossing of our international borders and hostile action on our soil. In the past two weeks, the Pakistan armed forces have continued to resist Indian aggression in all the sectors.
To understand the nature of the present hostilities, it is necessary to bear in mind the details of the fighting that preceded and culminated in the full-scale war on 3rd December.
I shall refer first to the Jessore section. On this south-western front of East Pakistan, since 21st November, the Indians have used tanks and heavy artillery fire. Some of the attacks were in brigade strength. The Indians had some successes against thinly-held Pakistani positions and captured Chaugacha, six miles inside our territory, and also Jiban Nagar. Their attacks were blunted in the Buinda, Simulia, Krishanpur, Jamalpur and Nabagram areas. Indian casualties in the Jessore section were estimated at about 150 killed and over 500 wounded. Several Indian tanks were destroyed. Units of the Indian armed forces identified in the Jessore sector, included these belonging to the 14th Punjab Regiment and the lst Jammu and Kashmir Battalion of the 350th Brigade of the 9th Indian Infantry Division.
In the Dinajpur-Rangpur sector, Indian pressure on this north-eastern front was concentrated for several days in the Hilli area of Dinajpur district. Other areas in which fighting took place were Panchagarh, Nageshwari, Badtara and Mirzapur.
Indian tanks and aircraft were used in these attacks. Units of the Indian armed forces identified in the Dinajpur-Rangpur sector included the 165th Mountain Brigade of the 10th Indian Mountain Division, 4th Rajput Regiment, the 7th Marhatta Light Infantry and the 9th Indian -Mountain Division.
The Sylhet sector, which is in the north-east, was subjected to heavy Indian pressure from the very first day of the attack against East Pakistan. Heavy fighting continued near Atgram, two miles inside Pakistan, and at Zakiganj, Radhanagar, Kanairghat, Gauripur, Chanderpur, Lakshmipur, Latumura and Shamsher Nagar. Indian casualties were estimated at over 225 dead and a hundred wounded. Indian units identified in the Sylhet
