Operation Jackpot was a coordinated Mukti Bahini sabotage campaign that disrupted Pakistani naval and military supply lines during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Key Facts
- Operation start date
- 15 August 1971
- Training supply operation began
- 15 May 1971
- Cities targeted
- Chittagong, Chandpur, Mongla, Narayanganj
- Third operation period
- 21 November – 16 December 1971
- Indian corps commander
- Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh, IV Corps
- Defector origin submarine
- PNS Mangro (S133), Toulon, France
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
After the Pakistani Army drove Bengali armed forces across the Indian border during Operation Searchlight, India began a supply and training program for the Mukti Bahini from 15 May 1971. The goal was to build a trained insurgent force capable of attacking Pakistani military assets, sabotaging economic infrastructure, and undermining Pakistani morale and logistics.
On the night of 15 August 1971, Mukti Bahini naval commandos launched coordinated sabotage attacks on Pakistani forces in Chittagong, Chandpur, Mongla, and Narayanganj. The raids were led by Bengali submariners who had defected from PNS Mangro. A third phase of the operation, planned by Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh, involved ground combat in Sylhet, Comilla, and Chittagong from 21 November to 16 December 1971.
The sabotage operations disrupted Pakistani naval and supply infrastructure across East Pakistan, contributing to the demoralization of Pakistani forces. The broader campaign of which Operation Jackpot was part culminated in the Pakistani military's surrender and the creation of independent Bangladesh in December 1971.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh.
Side B
3 belligerents