New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS): India Friday paid tributes to its martyred soldiers on the 40th anniversary of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that culminated in the liberation of East Pakistan, now called Bangladesh.
Defence Minister A.K. Antony laid a wreath at the war memorial here and recalled the sacrifices of the war heroes who laid down their lives for the nation.
"Today is a solemn day...a historic day," he said.
December 16 is celebrated as 'Vijay Divas' across India.
In the course of the 1971 war, around 3,900 Indian soldiers died and 9,851 were injured.
In a rare feat in modern military history, 93,000 Pakistani soldiers were taken prisoners of war (PoW) Dec 17, 1971 after Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi, commander of the Pakistani forces in East Pakistan, signed surrender before Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora, India's Eastern Army Commander, marking the end of the subcontinent's most decisive war.