Siege of Skardu

{{about|the 1948 military action|the 1840 military action|Siege of Skardu (1840)}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Siege of Skardu

| partof = the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947

| image = THOMSON(1852) p232 ISKARDO FORT.jpg

| caption = A painting of Skardu Fort

| place = Skardu, Jammu and Kashmir

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| date = 11 February 1948 – 14 August 1948
({{Age in years, months, weeks and days|month1=2|day1=11|year1=1948|month2=8|day2=14|year2=1948}})

| territory = Skardu becomes part of Pakistan-administered Kashmir

| result = Pakistani victory{{Cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820000228/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2016|title=The Battle of Skardu|newspaper=The Tribune (India)}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWXfAAAAMAAJ|title=Thimayya: An Amazing Life|last=Khanduri|first=Chandra B.|date=2006-01-01|publisher=Knowledge World|isbn=9788187966364|language=en}}

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| combatants_header =

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|India}} Dominion of India

22px Jammu and Kashmir
|{{air force|India}} Indian Air Force

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} Dominion of Pakistan

25px Chitral

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| commander1 = {{plainlist|Col. Sher Jung Thapa{{Surrendered}}
Capt. Ganga Singh{{Surrendered}}{{cite web |last1=Ahmed Khan |first1=Masud |title=Surrender at Skardu |date=27 September 2020 |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/28-Sep-2020/surrender-at-skardu-1948}}
Capt. Parhdal Singh{{Surrendered}}
Lt. Ajit Singh{{Surrendered}}}}

| commander2 = {{plainlist|Col. Aslam Khan
Col. Burhan-ud-Din
Col. Mata-ul-Mulk}}

| commander3 =

| units1 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Jammu and Kashmir (1936-1953).svg}} Jammu and Kashmir State Forces
{{air force|India}}[https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu-121327 Spare a thought for those defenders of Skardu - Tribune India]

| units2 = {{Flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Gilgit Scouts
{{Flagicon image|Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg}} Chitral Scouts
25px Chitral State Bodyguards

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| casualties1 = 250 captured

| casualties2 = Unknown

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| notes =

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Indo-Pakistani Wars}}

}}

The siege of Skardu was a prolonged military blockade carried out by the Gilgit Scouts, Chitral Scouts and Chitral State Bodyguards, acting in coordination against Jammu and Kashmir State Forces and the Indian Army in the town of Skardu, during the First Kashmir War of 1947.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ|title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective|last=VSM|first=Brig Amar Cheema|date=2015-03-31|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=9788170623014|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_l9tBQAAQBAJ|title=Gilgit Rebelion: The Major Who Mutinied Over Partition of India|last=Brown|first=William|date=2014-11-30|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=9781473821873|language=en}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947|last=(Retd)|first=Col J. Francis|date=2013-08-30|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789382652175|language=en}}

Background

Gilgit Scouts, the British-officered force of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir stationed in Gilgit for frontier defence, launched Operation Datta Khel on 31 October 1947 after hearing the news of Jammu and Kashmir's accession to India. They were joined by rebels from the 6th battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces stationed at Bunji, annihilated the rest of the battalion and imprisoned its commander Col. Abdul Majid. The combined forces of the Gilgit Scouts and rebels were placed under the command of Lt. Col. Aslam Khan by the Azad Kashmir provisional government.{{Efn|Lt. Col. Aslam Khan was a decorated officer of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, who moved to the British Indian Army and later Pakistan Army. Officially on leave from the Pakistan Army, he described himself as a "deserter" and joined the service of the Azad Kashmir provisioinal government, .}} Aslam Khan divided the troops into three forces of 400 men each, and deployed one of them, the "Ibex Force" under Major Ehsan Khan, to take Skardu.

Skardu, the political centre of Baltistan, was the headquarters of a tehsil of the Ladakh wazarat, The administration of the wazarat was stationed at Skardu for six months in each year and at Leh for the other six months. At the time of the rebellion, the governor of the wazarat was at Skardu and a company of the 6th battalion under the command of Major Sher Jung Thapa, was at Leh.

Siege of Skardu

When the news of the Gilgit rebellion was received, Sher Jung Thapa was promoted to Lieut. Colonel and made commander of the remainder of the 6th battalion. He was asked to proceed to Skardu for its defence. On reaching Skardu on 3 December, he realised that his position was untenable and sought permission to withdraw the garrison and the civil administration to Kargil and also requested reinforcements. The request for withdrawal was turned down and he was asked "to hold to last man and last round". The Indian forces, along with the non-Muslim civil population of Skardu, withdrew into the Skardu Fort where they were besieged by the Ibex Force.{{Cite book|last=India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tsw5AQAAIAAJ|title=India, 1947-50: External affairs|date=1959-01-01|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=493|language=en}} Thus began the defence of Skardu.{{Cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820000228/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2016|title=Defenders of Skardu|website=Tribune India|publication-date=19 August 2015}}

Meanwhile, Srinagar, under the control of the Indian Army, assembled 3 successive Skardu relief columns, but they were not successful in reaching Skardu. With Gilgit under Pakistan's control and absence of any effective relief, including air dropping of ammunition, it was a matter of time before the end neared. On 11 February 1948, the Pakistani forces battled with the Skardu garrison of the fort. After a six-hour-long battle between the two, the attackers retreated. They came again on 14 February directing "harassing fire into the fort".{{cite book|author1=B. Chakravorty|title=Stories of Heroism: PVC & MVC Winners|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=9788170235163|pages=352–353}}

By mid-August 1948, the Skardu garrison was in beggarly shape and the Kashmir forces left the fort in small batches on 13 August 1948. On 14 August 1948, outnumbered five to one, and with the last box of the reserve ammunition used, the garrison surrendered.{{Cite news|title=The Battle of Skardu|newspaper=The Tribune (India)|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820000228/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 August 2016}}{{Cite book|last=Khanduri|first=Chandra B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZWXfAAAAMAAJ|title=Thimayya: An Amazing Life|date=2006-01-01|publisher=Knowledge World|isbn=9788187966364|language=en}} All the remaining men were reportedly killed by the invaders, except for Col. Thapa and his Sikh orderly, who were taken prisoner.{{cite book|author1=J Francis|title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789382652175|pages=26–27}} Skardu fell and along with southern Baltistan, became part of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, later renamed Gilgit-Baltistan.