Editing Skardu (section)

=== 1947–48 Kashmir War ===
{{Main|Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948}}
After the [[Partition of British India]], on 22 October 1947, Pakistan launched a [[Pakistani tribal invasion of Kashmir|tribal invasion]] of Kashmir by [[Pashtun people|Pashtun]]s leading to the Maharaja [[Hari Singh]] acceding to [[Dominion of India|India]].<ref>{{citation |first=Shuja |last=Nawaz |title=The First Kashmir War Revisited |journal=India Review |volume=7 |number=2 |pages=115–154 |doi=10.1080/14736480802055455 |date=May 2008 |s2cid=155030407 |ref={{sfnref|Nawaz, The First Kashmir War Revisited|2008}}}}</ref> The [[Gilgit Scouts]], under the leadership of [[William Brown (British Army officer)|Major William Brown]], mutinied on 1 November 1948, bringing the [[Gilgit Agency]] under the control of Pakistan.{{sfn|Brown, Gilgit Rebellion|2014|p=264}}{{sfn|Schofield|2003|pp=63–64}} Major [[Aslam Khan (Pakistani brigadier)|Aslam Khan]] took over the command of the Gilgit Scouts, organized a force of some 600 men from the rebels and local recruits, and launched attacks on the remaining parts of the State under Indian control.{{sfn|Dani, History of Northern Areas of Pakistan|2001|p=362–}} Skardu was an important target because Aslam Khan felt that Gilgit could be threatened from there.{{sfn|Brown, Gilgit Rebellion|2014|p=268}} The Skardu garrison was defended by a contingent of 6th [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces|Jammu and Kashmir Infantry]] under the command of Col. [[Sher Jung Thapa]].<ref name="Francis-2013">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rotnAgAAQBAJ&q=skardu+history&pg=PA26 |title=Short Stories from the History of the Indian Army Since August 1947 |first=J. |last=Francis |date=30 August 2013 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |isbn=9789382652175 |language=en}}</ref> The initial attack of the rebels was repulsed, but the city fell into the rebel hands, cutting off supplies to the garrison.<ref name="Francis-2013" /> After holding the  garrison for 6 months and 3 days, Thapa and his forces surrendered on 14 August 1948.<ref name="Francis-2013" /><ref>Harbans Singh, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160820000228/http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/spare-a-thought-for-those-defenders-of-skardu/121327.html Spare a thought for those defenders of Skardu], The Tribune, 19 August 2015.</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Cheema |first=Brig Amar |title=The Crimson Chinar: The Kashmir Conflict: A Politico Military Perspective |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qc25BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA51 |date=2015 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-81-7062-301-4 |pages=51–}}</ref>