Background
Following the Rann of Kutch affair, which resulted in territorial gains for Pakistan following a boundary award later in 1968), the political atmosphere in Pakistan was jubilant. Believing the Indians were badly demoralised and the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir would revolt against them with a little help, General Ayub Khan gave his approval for Operation Gibraltar, a plan to provoke uprisings in Jammu and Kashmir by infiltrating teams of military personnel to conduct sabotage and prod the Kashmiri people against Indian forces. The infiltration started in the first week of August 1965, as Pakistani infantry infiltrated the border in teams of twos and threes, eventually swelling to more than 9,000 in number.
Identifying the insurgents as Pakistan Army regulars, India countered them by bringing in additional troops. The Indian Army also launched attacks on the logistical bases of the insurgents in Azad Kashmir.
In order to ease the pressure on the 12th Division, which was defending against repeated Indian attacks, and to guard against the threat to the important city of Muzaffarabad, which resulted from the gain by Indian forces of strategic areas, like the Hajipir pass, in Azad Kashmir, the Pakistani Army commenced Operation Grand Slam at 0500 hours on 1 September 1965.
Read more about this topic: Operation Grand Slam
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