Operation Searchlight was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971. Ordered by the central government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been launched in November 1970. The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month.
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| - Operation Searchlight was a planned military operation carried out by the Pakistan Army to curb the Bengali nationalist movement in the erstwhile East Pakistan in March 1971. Ordered by the central government in West Pakistan, this was seen as the sequel to "Operation Blitz" which had been launched in November 1970. The original plan envisioned taking control of the major cities on March 26, and then eliminating all opposition, political or military, within one month.
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| causalties
| - Mukti Bahini: ~4,000+POWs, 10,000KIA(Pakistan claim)
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| combatant
| - Provisional Government
- *Awami League
- Mukhti Bahini
- Pakistan Armed Forces
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| notes
| - Civilian death toll: Estimated several hundred thousands Bengali civilians.
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| result
| - * Organization of Bengali popular resistance
- *Temporary West Pakistani occupation
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| strength
| - 1 armored regiment (75M24 Chaffeetanks).
- 4 Gunboats and 1 Patrol Boat, 1 Destroyer.
- Civilian volunteers: unknown (usually unarmed)
- East Pakistan Rifles:~13,000 soldiers
- Reinforcements: The 9th and 16th Infantry divisions from West Pakistan
- Pakistan Air Force:
- Pakistan Navy:
- Paramilitary Forces:
- 20F-86Sabre, 3T-33trainers, 4 Helicopters, 5C-130Heracles transport planes.
- Reinforcements: unknown number of unarmed ex-servicemen and civilians
- Pakistan Army: 14th Infantry Division, estimated 18,000+ soldiers,
- Paramilitary Forces: ~3,000 East Pakistan Rifles, 1800 East Pakistan Police personnel
- and approximately 30,000+ members of East Pakistan Police and Ansar armed with .303 rifles
- Bengali Forces: ~8,000 Bengali soldiers fromEast Bengal Regiments
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