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Vijay Diwas: When Lt Gen Niazi-led 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered to Indian Army in 1971– 5 facts

India is today celebrating Vijay Diwas to mark the victory of our soldiers during the 1971 War.

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Pakistan's Lt Gen AAK Niazi signs the instrument of surrender in presence of Lt Gen Jas Arora on December 16, 1971. (File)
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India is today celebrating Vijay Diwas to mark the victory of our soldiers during the 1971 War.

It is on this day in 1971 when our soldiers gave India its finest moment with victory over Pakistan which resulted in creation of Bangladesh.

As the nation pays rich tributes to the heroes of 1971 War, here are five facts about the saga.

1: Apart from the endless tales of valour, what's etched in every Indian's memory is the photo of Pakistan Army surrendering to Indian Army soldiers. It was Lt Gen AAK Niazi, who led the 93,000 Pakistani soldiers to surrender to India Army Commander of eastern Command Lt Gen JS Arora.

2: Indian Air Force, with its sheer brilliance change the course of war. The Indian Air Force continued operations at an unprecedented pace of 500 sorties per day, a rate higher than in the Second World War.

3: Frustrated over losses, Pakistan began attack on all fronts. Not only in east, Islamabad started targeting Delhi from west also.

4: The strategy led to attack on Longewala in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district. The epic Battle of Longewala saw an Infantry company of 23 Punjab under Major (later Brigadier) KS Chandpuri, who withstood an assault by hundreds of tanks throughout the night. The Pakistan tanks were decimated the next morning by the Indian Air Force.

5: The victory gave birth to a new country in Indian Subcontinent. Bangladesh was formed after India's successful military campaign. Prior to this, East Pakistan, as it was known then, witnesses an era of imaginable brutality. A campaign of rape, torture, killings and conflicts pushed about nine million refugees into India following the widespread genocide which Pakistan conducted against the Bengali population of East Pakistan, aimed at the minority Hindu population 

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