Operation Barisal

{{Short description|Naval operation in East Pakistan}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Operation Barisal

| partof = Operation Searchlight and Bangladesh War of Independence

| image =

| caption =

| date = 25 April 1971 – 1 May 1971

| place = Barisal, Bay of Bengal, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)

| coordinates = {{coord|22.8|90.5|type:event|display=inline}}

| map_type = Bangladesh

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| map_label = Barisal

| territory =

| result = Inconclusive

• Initiation of Bangladesh War of Independence

| status =

| combatant1 = {{PAK}}

• {{Flagicon image|Naval Jack of Pakistan.svg}} Pakistan Navy
• {{army|PAK}}
• {{air force|PAK}}

| combatant2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg}} Bangladesh

• {{ubl|{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Mukti Bahini-DeFacto.svg}} Mukti Bahini

|Supported By:|{{Flagicon|India}} India}}

| combatant3 =

| commander1 = Captain Ejaz Chaudhri

| commander2 = {{ubl|Captain M. A. Jalil|Major Rashedul Hasan}}

| commander3 =

| units1 = {{ubl|17th Naval Gun Boat Squadron|Special Service Group Navy (SSGN)|22nd Frontier Force Regiment|6th Punjab Regiment|No. 14 Squadron}}

| units2 = Mukti Bahini Barisal Units

| units3 =

| strength1 = {{ubl|4 gunboats|1 destroyer|1 patrol boat|24 fighter jets}}

| strength2 = Unknown

| strength3 =

| casualties1 = 23 wounded

| casualties2 = Unknown

| casualties3 =

| notes = Further information, see Operation Searchlight, Bangladesh War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

}}

{{Campaignbox Bangladesh Liberation War}}

Operation Barisal was a code-name of naval operation conducted by Pakistan Navy intended to take control of the city of Barisal, East Pakistan from the Mukti Bahini and the dissidents of the Pakistan Defence Forces. It was the part of Operation Searchlight.Salik, Siddiq, Witness to Surrender, p. 135

Since the starting of Searchlight, the Mukti Bahini had been staging large scale sabotage missions, disturbing the communications and signals operatives in East Pakistan. Naval Intelligence found traces to the city of Barisal, therefore decided to conduct the operation. The operation was part of Searchlight and was to provide logistic support to the Pakistan Army, by first deploying the Pakistan Navy's gun boats and navy personnel on grounds.