947 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড Earlier, the Indian troops liberated Shalutikor airfield on the outskirts of Sylhet, Sylhet town and the airport were captured in a two-pronged attack mounted by the Indian land and the airborne troops. Disclosing this. Air Marshal H. C. Dewan, said that eight helicopters were pressed into operation for the first time in the presenoffensive with over 100 troops to hasten the fall of Sylhet town and the airport. An army spokesman said, advancing columns after crossing the Gomti river, had succeeded in isolating the well fortified Moynamoti cantonment from the west by cutting the road to Brahmanbaria. Other Pakistani bastions liberated in the last 24 hours included Meherpur, Kaliganj. Sunamganj, Chhatak. Pakistani forces were converging on Faridpur and Kushtia towns with the ostensible aim of finding a way to the capital city of Dacca through Goalumdo Ghat on the Padma. Further up in the Hili area of Dinajpur district, fighting was still going on against the heavily fortified Pakistani positions. The Indian forces launched a new thrust towards the Pakistani brigade at Hili from Phulbari in the rear sandwiching the enemy forces both from the north and west. In the Mymensingh sector, Indian columns had reached the outskirts of Jamalpur and operations were well in progress to clear this town on the route to Jagannathganj Ghat on the Jamuna-which would ultimately provide a bridgehead to Bogra on the west bank. In a resume of operations over the last 24 hours Maj. Gen, J. F. R. Jacob. Chief of the General Staff, Eastern Command, told newesmen in Calcutta that other notable gains recorded were the liberation of Lalmonirhat airfield of Rangpur district in the north and the total "isolation" of Comilla cantonment and town in the south-east sector of Bangladesh. Regarding the thrust on Dacca through Akhaura, the General said Indian forces had made contact with the enemy's defenses at Brahmanbaria on the route to Bhairab Bazar and Tongi junction, which is just south of the capital city. Summing the progress of operations, Gen. Jacob said that once the outer crust of the Pakistani defenses was smashed, the advance would be more rapid than at present. He explained the Pakistanis had heavily fortified certain towns and centers with bunkers, minefields and artillery positions to block the Indian advance. The emphasis on the present operations. Gen. Jacob said, was not on taking the towns as such "We do not want to attack the civilian population. It is just not our policy." He added. In the Meghalaya sector, Sunamganj in Sylhet district was liberated by Indian forces. As one sub-divisional head quarters after the other fell to the Indian forces and Mukti Bahini there were reports of increased activity against the Pakistani occupation forces in rural areas of Dacca district.
