While India suffered no losses, Pakistan lost a minesweeper, a destroyer, a cargo vessel carrying ammunition, and fuel storage tanks in Karachi.

The security of Karachi Harbour was predominant to the Pakistani High Command, and it was heavily defended against any air or naval strikes.

On 3 December, after Pakistan attacked Indian airfields along the border, the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 officially began.

However, these boats had limited operational and radar range, and to overcome this difficulty, it was decided to assign support vessels to the group.

[3][4] As planned, on 4 December, the strike group reached 250 nautical miles (460 km; 290 mi) (nmi) south off the coast of Karachi and maintained its position during the day, outside the surveillance range of the Pakistan Air Force.

[4] At 10.30 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PKT), the Indian task group moved 180 nmi (330 km; 210 mi) from its position towards the south of Karachi.

The missile hit the right side of the ship, exploding below the galley in the electrician's mess deck at 10.45 pm (PKT).

Venus Challenger, carrying ammunition for the Pakistani forces, exploded immediately after the missile hit and eventually sank 23 nmi (43 km; 26 mi) south of Karachi.

Two missiles were launched; one misfired, but the other hit the oil tanks, which burned and were destroyed completely, causing a Pakistani fuel shortage.

As Muhafiz sank before it could transmit a distress call, the Pakistanis only learned of its fate from its few survivors who were recovered when a patrol vessel steered towards the ship's burning flotsam.

The deployments raised several false alarms in the ensuing days about the presence of Indian Navy vessels off Karachi.

Then Fleet Operations Officer, Captain (later Vice Admiral) Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani, was awarded the Nau Sena Medal for the detailed operational planning; the Maha Vir Chakra was awarded to the strike group commander, Cdr Babru Bhan Yadav, for planning and leading the task force; and Vir Chakras were awarded to Lieutenant Commanders Bahadur Nariman Kavina, Inderjit Sharma, M O Thomachan and Om Prakash Mehta, the commanding officers of INS Nipat, INS Nirghat, and INS Veer respectively.