Sack of Baramulla

Sack of Baramulla
Part of Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Pashtun tribesmen in Kashmir, 1947
Location	Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir
Date	October 1947
Target	Hindus, Sikhs
Attack type	Massacre, looting, destruction
Deaths	14,000 civilians
Perpetrator	Tribal militias, Pakistan Army

The Sack of Baramulla was an event that took place during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. In October 1947, tribal militias and Pakistan Army forces attacked the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Baramulla, a town in the region, witnessed a brutal massacre in the early stages of the war.

Baramulla was among the worst-affected areas during the invasion. Various sources provide different figures, with estimates of civilian deaths ranging from hundreds to thousands. Some accounts state that approximately 14,000 civilians were killed.^[1][2]

The Kashmiri Hindu and Sikh communities faced immense violence during the sack. Families reportedly committed mass suicide to escape the brutality, jumping from rooftops or into the Jhelum River. On 26 October 1947, approximately 11,000 residents of Baramulla were massacred. The Mohra power station, supplying electricity to Srinagar, was also destroyed.^[3]

Sheikh Abdullah, leader of the National Conference and the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, described the invasion at the UN Security Council on 5 February 1948:

• "The raiders came to our land, massacred thousands of people—mostly Hindus and Sikhs—abducted thousands of girls, Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims alike, looted our property, and almost reached the gates of our summer capital, Srinagar."*

Estimates suggest that between 35,000 to 40,000 residents of Jammu and Kashmir were killed during the tribal invasion.^[4]

The Franciscan Missionary convent and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Baramulla were also attacked. María Teresalina Sánchez, a Spanish nun, was murdered while defending the convent. She was shot multiple times and dragged away by the militants.^[5][6]