Operation Gibraltar was a covert Pakistani military plan executed in August 1965 with the aim of infiltrating Indian-administered Kashmir to incite a local uprising. The idea was that irregular forces (guerrillas, volunteers) disguised as locals would sabotage key infrastructure roads, bridges, airfields and weaken Indian administrative control, making way for revolt. However, the plan rested on the assumption that Kashmiri Muslims would join in; this proved false.

From the outset, the infiltration was detected. Incidents of infiltrators being identified, captured, and reports from locals tipped off Indian forces. The groups planned (with names like Tariq, Qasim, Salahuddin, Ghaznavi) had specific targets but suffered from lack of coordination, difficult terrain, logistical issues, and soon came under pressure from Indian counter-measures. 

Once the operation was compromised, Pakistan escalated with Operation Grand Slam and India responded by crossing the international border in early September turning what was meant to be a limited infiltration into a full war. Operation Gibraltar’s failure marked a major strategic miscalculation: Pakistan’s assumption of a Kashmiri revolt was wrong. The result was the outbreak of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, heavy casualties on both sides, militarisation of the Kashmir dispute, and strained relations for decades. Though neither side achieved a decisive victory, the conflict underlined the risks of covert operations and the importance of local support.