Indian Army's first air-land battle that saved the Kashmir Valley

Seventy-five years ago on this day, the newly-Independent India's army fought its first big, combined arms battle, aided by air power, which not only thwarted for good the Pakistan-backed tribal invaders' threat to Srinagar, but secured almost the entire Kashmir Valley from their danger.

Behind this victory was not only a canny commander, who braved his superiors' ire in taking a major gamble, but feats of many other intrepid soldiers too.

A fortnight after the tribal invasion of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, the situation was still fluid. The brave rearguard action of the state forces' Chief of Staff, Brig Rajinder Singh Jamwal, and his small band had delayed the raiders' advance and bought time for the long-delayed accession, and Lt Col Dewan Rajit Rai, who led the first Indian Army formation into the Valley, not only secured the Badgam airstrip but by an intrepid advance, spooked the enemy and stopped his advance for the time being.

Then, as more Indian soldiers began pouring in, Major Somnath Sharma on November 3 showed exemplary courage in beating back a bigger enemy force, seeking to take control over the airstrip.

All the three soldiers made the supreme sacrifice in their endeavours - but the enemy was still present in strength in the Kashmir Valley, while areas in Jammu region and Ladakh were also under threat.

It was early in November, when

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