Battle of Chunj
| Battle of Chunj | |||||||||
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| Part of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948 | |||||||||
The Chunj feature on a map | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
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Gen. K. S. Thimayya Brig. Harbaksh Singh Brig. J. C. Katoch |
Maj. A. M. Sloan † Maj. Ghulam Rasul Raja Capt. Rao Farman Ali Lt. Nausherwan Khan | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
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163rd Brigade 1st Sikh 1st Madras Pioneers 3rd Royal Garhwal Rifles |
4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment 3rd Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Unknown | 42 killed, 169 wounded | ||||||||
The Battle of Chunj, also known as the Chunj Operation, was a military campaign fought between Pakistani and Indian forces from 25 June until 23 November 1948, during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948. The Indian 163rd Brigade first advanced from Handwara to Tithwal and from Uri to Urusa. The 163rd Brigade then launched an offensive from Tithwal, raising a threat to Pakistani-held Muzaffarabad. The move caused much panic in the Pakistani high command. The capture of Domel was the main objective of the Indian offensive. Domel, only 18 miles (29 km) from Tithwal, was a key position for the Pakistan Army to hold in Muzaffarabad.
The 10th Brigade of the Pakistan Army, under Brigadier Haji Iftikhar Ahmad, was tasked to stop the Indian advance, and defend Muzaffarabad at all costs. The Pakistani high command also consider it necessary to drive out the Indian troops from the heights of the Chunj range and push the Indian troops back to the left bank of the Neelum River, also known as the Kishanganga River. Because of the evacuation of all the advanced positions across the river, the Indian command considered it a major loss.
The Indian forces had gained success by capturing Tithwal earlier, but with the fall of the Chunj feature to Pakistan, the summer offensive of the Indian army from Tithwal towards Muzaffarabad failed. The Pakistani advance added a huge area to the Pakistani controlled side on the left bank of the Neelum River. Major Alan Macfarlane Sloan, a British engineer officer and professional soldier fighting for the Pakistanis, was praised for his actions which led to the capture of crucial peaks in the Tithwal area in July 1948. The Pakistani forces switched their focus towards the Chakothi area after achieving victory in Tithwal. Later, another victory in Pandu by the Pakistanis pushed the Indians out of the Pandu feature, a commanding position over other nearby features, a noteworthy achievement in the conflict. Stalemate ensued afterwards in this sector until ceasefires took effect on 1 January 1949.