Defence of Poonch (1947-48): A year-long siege, air-supply lifeline, and the final breakout under Operation Easy

(Image credits: bharat-rakshak website)

The defence of Poonch stands among the longest and most resilient military actions of the 1947-48 conflict. Whereas Srinagar was saved by swift intervention and Shalateng delivered a decisive counteroffensive, Poonch became a slow, grinding test of endurance — a year-long siege fought under constant bombardment, supply starvation and repeated enemy assaults. Isolated in the rugged Pir Panjal foothills, with enemy forces dominating every approach, Poonch survived only because of the determination of its defenders, the commitment of local militias and the audacity of pilots who sustained an improbable airbridge for months.

When the siege finally ended with Operation Easy in November 1948, the breakout was not just a tactical success; it was the culmination of one of the most remarkable survival stories in Indian military history. The town that should have fallen in weeks had held for nearly a year.

Strategic setting: Why Poonch mattered so much

Poonch occupied a unique position in the northwest of Jammu & Kashmir — a district connected by narrow hill roads, close to the border, and vulnerable to infiltration. Its population was mixed, its topography rugged, and its loyalty fragile. Control of Poonch offered Pakistan-backed irregulars a chance to sever communication lines to Rajouri and Jammu, while for India its defence ensured that the western flank of the state did not collapse in a domino effect.

The geography shaped everything. The road from Jammu to Poonch wound across mountain ridges and deep valleys, making reinforcement slow and exhausting. Once winter snowfall set in, passes became treacherous, convoys stalled, and the town risked being cut off entirely.

It was into this vulnerable region that Captain (later Brigadier) Pritam Singh arrived in November 1947 to assume command of a small garrison — and inherit a crisis that would only worsen.

The outbreak of hostilities: Poonch comes under attack

In October-November 1947, tribal lashkars, supported by Pakistani irregulars, surged across the western districts of the state. They overran numerous villages around Poonch, driving civilians into the town in tens of thousands. The influx created a humanitarian emergency even before the military situation collapsed.

The garrison itself was small — drawn from 1/2 Punjab, local levies and volunteer militias formed by the beleaguered populace. Weapons were scarce, ammunition limited, medical facilities rudimentary. The enemy had momentum, numbers and familiarity with the terrain.

By December 1947, Poonch was under sustained attack. Outlying posts were captured or abandoned under pressure. The lashkar took surrounding heights. The town was encircled. The siege had begun.

Encirclement and siege: Pritam Singh’s defensive ring

Recognising Poonch’s isolation, Pritam Singh reorganised the defence into a compact perimeter around the town and airstrip. He fortified hill features, created strongpoints and prepared the garrison for a long siege. His leadership transformed a precarious position into a formidable defensive ring.

Enemy forces launched repeated assaults throughout late 1947 and early 1948. These included:

• attempts to storm the town in massed tribal attacks
• systematic shelling using captured or covertly supplied artillery
• sniper fire and infiltration through forested gullies
• blockading supplies by cutting every land route
• Each attack tested the defenders’ stamina. Each was repulsed — often narrowly, always at high cost.

The air-supply lifeline: How the sky kept Poonch alive

With all land routes cut, Poonch’s only lifeline became the tiny, battered airstrip within the defensive perimeter. In one of the earliest and most challenging air-supply operations conducted by independent India, Dakotas of the Royal Indian Air Force began flying into Poonch — often under fire, sometimes at the edge of their operational limits.

These flights delivered ammunition, rations, medical supplies, and reinforcements. More remarkably, they evacuated thousands of refugees, often loading aircraft while shells fell near the runway.

Flying into Poonch was dangerous. The airfield was exposed; approaches ran through valleys overlooked by enemy-held heights. Pilots flew low, banked sharply, and landed fast to reduce vulnerability. Some aircraft returned riddled with bullet holes. A few were destroyed.

But without these flights, Poonch would have starved within weeks. Instead, the airbridge sustained the town for eleven gruelling months.

Civilian resilience: A town that refused to fall

Poonch’s defence was not solely a military operation. The civilian population — Hindus, Sikhs, and many loyal Muslims — supported the defence in every possible way. They dug trenches, carried supplies, tended to the wounded, formed local militias and endured the daily terror of shelling.

Food shortages became severe. Rations were reduced. Disease spread. Yet morale held because the town believed relief would come — eventually.

This unity between the garrison and the civilians became one of the most distinctive features of Poonch’s stand. It was a town under siege, not just a fort under attack.

The 1948 campaign: Enemy pressure intensifies

In early 1948, Pakistan’s strategy shifted from irregular tribal assaults to more organised operations supported by former soldiers, local rebels and military advisors. Pressure on Poonch increased:

• mortars and artillery fire intensified
• heights around the valley were fortified
• enemy units attempted to infiltrate the airfield at night
• repeated attacks targeted the defences at Khanetar and surrounding ridges Despite these efforts, the garrison held firm.

By mid-1948, commanders in Srinagar and Jammu recognised that Poonch could not be sustained indefinitely by air — not through another winter.

A breakout was essential.

Indian counter-efforts: Fighting to relieve Poonch

Throughout 1948, Indian forces attempted repeatedly to cut through to Poonch. These efforts included thrusts from Naushera–Jhangar, attacks toward Kotli, and long-range patrols through forested ridges. But enemy-held heights and narrow passes thwarted every attempt.

The turning point came when Indian forces stabilised the Jammu–Naushera–Rajouri sector and began clearing the Pir Panjal foothills systematically. By September 1948, units from 5 Brigade, 80 Brigade, armour detachments and engineers were tasked with coordinating a grand link-up.

This operation would become Operation Easy.

Operation Easy: Planning the breakout

Operation Easy aimed to break the siege by linking Poonch with Indian positions advancing from Rajouri. The plan required:

• simultaneous thrusts from Poonch and Rajouri to meet along the road
• clearing actions at key ridges dominating the axis
• coordinated infantry-armour movement in some of the most treacherous terrain of the war
• diversionary attacks to mislead enemy concentrations The level of coordination was unprecedented in the western theatre. It represented the maturity the Indian Army had achieved after a year of difficult campaigning.

The breakout commenced in late October 1948. From the Rajouri side, Indian forces advanced along the road under heavy resistance. The enemy had fortified chokepoints, destroyed bridges and mined stretches of the route.

Progress was slow but steady. Engineers worked around the clock to repair bypasses and restore connectivity. Infantry battled through ambushes. Armour pushed forward in narrow valleys.

Simultaneously, the Poonch garrison sallied out in coordinated attacks, striking enemy-held heights that had threatened the airfield for months. These attacks widened the perimeter and linked with forward Indian elements.

On 20 November 1948, the two columns met. After almost a year, the land route to Poonch was restored.

The siege had been broken.

Strategic significance: What Poonch’s survival meant

The successful defence and breakout at Poonch had far-reaching consequences:

It preserved control of southwest Jammu & Kashmir.
The fall of Poonch would have opened the route to Rajouri and Jammu.

It tied down large enemy forces.
Throughout the siege, thousands of irregulars were committed to attacking or blockading Poonch — reducing pressure elsewhere.

It protected the approach to the Pir Panjal.
Had Poonch fallen, enemy forces could have threatened the passes into the interior.

It enabled India’s 1948 winter offensives.
With the Poonch sector stabilised, resources could be shifted to Naushera, Jhangar, Kargil and Zoji La.

It created a modern strategic bastion.
Even today, Poonch remains a key defensive bulwark along the Line of Control.

Legacy: A siege remembered for endurance and unity

The defence of Poonch is remembered not for dramatic manoeuvre but for endurance — the willingness of a garrison and its civilians to resist for nearly a year despite overwhelming odds. The airbridge that sustained them stands as one of the earliest and most daring in India’s military history. The final breakout under Operation Easy transformed a long siege into a symbol of resilience.

For the defenders, the memories were bittersweet — months of shelling, hunger, loss and fear. But also pride. They had held the line when retreat would have been easier, when surrender would have seemed inevitable.

The story of Poonch remains one of the finest chapters of the 1947-48 war: a testament to courage, leadership and the extraordinary will to endure.