Chicken's Neck (Pakistan)

The Chicken's Neck or the Akhnoor Dagger is the name for a narrow strip of Pakistani territory that extends into Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir south of Akhnoor. The sensitive piece of land that lies on the de facto Indo-Pakistani border on the west side of the disputed region of Kashmir is part of Punjab Province's Sialkot District and measures roughly 170 km². It has been a focal point in all the wars involving India and Pakistan as it is seen as a corridor towards most of Jammu and Kashmir. One of the main thrusts of the Operation Grand Slam in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was to capture Akhnoor through the Chicken's Neck which could potentially choke the Indian Army in the region; the plan however failed. During the 1971 war Indian troops of 19 Infantry Brigade under Brigadier (later Lieutenant General) Mohindar Singh were able to take possession of this strip of land.