However General Sam Manekshaw requested to postpone the offensive till the Indian Army was fully prepared.

Acquisition of weapons, development of infrastructures, mobilization, training, dumping of ammunition, engineers stores, supplies prepared.

[17] The town of Sylhet was located in northern end of the sector and was connected to Dhaka by road and rail.

In accordance with this strategy, ten cities: Jessore, Jhenaidah, Bogra, Rangpur, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Bhairab Bazar, Comilla, and Chittagong were converted into fortress.

[19] According to this plan, if Indian troops attacked the cities they would suffer heavy casualties and if they tried to bypass them they would be surrounded.

In both the cases the it would ease the defence of Sylhet and buy time to build international pressure on India.

Hence, to achieve this Indian forces were tasked to capture Atgram and Zakiganj the area east of road connecting the spaces.

[23][24][25] The night of 20/21 November, 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles crossed the Surma river and attacked Pakistani positions in Atgram.

[27] On 4 December The 6 Rajput along with 4th / 5th Gorkha Rifles of the 59th Infantry Brigade were tasked to capture Gazipur and Kalaura held by Pakistanis.

The 81 Mountain Brigade was now tasked to capture Moulvi Bazar, which was subjected to heavy artillery shelling and air attacks.

The Charlie company men, along with commanding officers somehow managed to hold the enemy attack as they were engaged in small arms fire soon after the landing.

In the twilight hours, a wave of helicopters came with two mounted guns and bringing 9 Guards and the rest of Bravo company as reinforcements.

After the last light of 8 December, Pakistani troops launched a counterattack supported by artillery and heavy MMG fire.

In the morning of 9 December, the battalion CO asked the Charlie company to conduct a combined patrol and lay an ambush in towards Charkai-Khadim Nagar Sylhet.

The Gurkhas had decided to occupy offensive positions laying ambush, cutting off communication lines, supplies, raids, harassing the Pakistani troops.

On 9 December another counterattack came from Pakistani troops supported by heavy artillery fire after the last light which was again repulsed by Gurkhas.

The Pakistani troops immediately opened fire, which caused the battalion, party under Ian Cardozo,[31] delays in collecting supplies and artillery ammunition.

The battalion conducted aggressive patrolling, however, Pakistani troops had deployed all of there elements and sporadically fired on the Indian positions.

After the last light the Pakistanis again started heavy artillery and MMG fire with there war cry Allah Ho Akbar.

Another fact is on 7 December, assault force's battle cries of Jo bole So Nihal, Sat sri Akal, Shivaji Maharaj ki Jay, and ayo gorkhali accompanied by an engineer regiment, which took part on the assault made Pakistanis believe that an entire Indian Brigade had been landed which prevented Pakistan Armed Forces launching any major attack on Gurkha troops.

On 15 December, Major Malik (Charlie company commander) informed that there was a large concentration of Pakistani troops at a distance of 800 m (2,600 ft) with white flags (indication of Surrender).