CADET-BHAVIK KASHINATH SURYAWANSHI 48 MAHARASHTRA BATTALION, DHULE Z.B.PATIL COLLEGE, DHULE • “THE KARGIL WAR-1999” THE KARGIL WAR The Kargil War was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control(LOC). In India, the conflict is also referred to as Operation Vijay which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector. THE KARGIL WAR-1999 CAUSE OF THE KARGIL WAR The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the LOC, which serves as the de facto border between the two states. LOCATION & BACKGROUND The town of Kargil is located 205 km (127 mi) from Srinagar, facing the Northern Areas across the LOC. Pakistani Lieutenant General Shahid Aziz, and then head of ISI analysis wing, has confirmed there were no mujahideen but only regular Pakistan Army soldiers who took part in the Kargil War. "There were no Mujahideen, only taped wireless messages, which fooled no one. Our soldiers were made to occupy barren ridges, with hand held weapons and ammunition“. Some analysts believe that the blueprint of attack was reactivated soon after Pervez Musharraf was appointed chief of army staff in October 1998. (The Town of Kargil) WAR PROGRESS • May 3 Pakistani intrusion in Kargil reported by local shepherds. • May 5 Indian Army patrol sent up; Five Indian soldiers captured and tortured to death. • May 9 Heavy shelling by Pakistan Army damages ammunition dump in Karg. • May 10 Infiltrations first noticed in Dras, Kaksar and Mushkoh sectors. • Mid-May India Army moves in more troops from Kashmir Valley to Kargil Sector. • May 26 IAF launches air strikes against infiltrators. • May 27 IAF loses two fighters — MiG-21 and MiG-27;. Flt Lt Nachiketa taken POWMay 28IAF MI-17 shot down by Pakistan; four air crew deadJune 1Pakistan steps up attacks; bombs NH 1A. • June 5 Indian Army releases documents recovered from three Pakistani soldiers indicating Pakistan’s involvement. • June 6 Indian Army launches major offensive in Kargil. • June 9 Indian Army re-captures two key positions in the Batalic sector. • June 11 India releases intercepts of conversation between Pakistani Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf, while on a visit to China and Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Aziz Khan in Rawalpindi, as proof of Pakistani Army’s involvement. • June 13 Indian Army secures Tololing in Dras. • June 15 U.S. President Bill Clinton, in a telephonic conversation, asks Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull out from Kargil. • June 29 Indian Army captures two vital posts: Point 5060 and Point 5100 near Tiger Hill. • July 2 Indian Army launches three-pronged attack in Kargil. • July 4 Indian Army recaptures Tiger Hill after an 11-hour battle. • July 5 Indian Army takes control of Dras. Sharif announces Pakistani army’s withdrawal from Kargil following his meeting with Clinton. • July 7 India recaptures Jubar Heights in Batalik. • July 11 Pakistan begins pullout; India captures key peaks in Batalik. • July 14 Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declares Operation Vijay a success. Government sets condition for talks with Pakistan. • July 26 Kargil conflict officially comes to an end. Indian Army announces complete eviction of Pakistani intruders. LAND OPERATIONS The Indian Army launched “Operation Vijay”, a mobilisation of 200,000 Indian troops. However, because of the nature of the terrain, division and corps operations could not be mounted; subsequent fighting was conducted mostly at the regimental or battalion level. In effect, two divisions of the Indian Army, numbering 20,000, plus several thousand from the Paramilitary forces of India. The total number of Indian soldiers that were involved in the military operation on the Kargil-Drass sector was thus close to 30,000. The number of infiltrators, including those providing logistical backup, has been put at approximately 5,000 at the height of the conflict. This figure includes troops from Pakistan-administered Kashmir who provided additional artillery support. AIR OPERATIONS The Indian Air Force launched “Operation Safed Sagar” in support of the mobilization of Indian land forces, but its effectiveness during the war was limited by the high altitude and weather conditions, which in turn limited bomb loads and the number of airstrips that could be used. NAVAL OPERATIONS The Indian Navy also prepared to blockade the Pakistani ports (primarily the Karachi port) to cut off supply routes under “Operation Talwar”. The Indian Navy's western and eastern fleets joined in the North Arabian Sea and began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut Pakistan’s sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea based oil and trade flows. Later, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken out. FINAL BATTLE The Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July; as soon as the Drass subsector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on July 26. The day has since been marked as Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory Day) in India. By the end of the war, Pakistan had to withdraw under international pressure and due to pressure from continued fighting at battle front and left India in control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Simla Agreement. “ KARGIL VICTORY DAY ” SAGA OF PATRIOTISM “THEY DIED FOR A STRANGER. AND THAT STRANGER IS YOU ! !” “IF YOU WORSHIP YOUR BOLLYWOOD STAR OR YOUR CRICKETING IDOL….. THINK AGAIN… THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE WHO DESERVE IT MUCH MORE THAN THEM…….” KARGIL HEROES Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey Captain Vikram Batra Major Padmapani Acharya Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari Major Sonam Wangchuk Lt. Keishing Clifford Nongrum Major Vivek Gupta Captain Anuj Nayyar Rifleman Sanjay Kumar Many Mores……………. "THEY GAVE THEIR TODAY FOR OUR TOMORROW" Kargil War Heroes “They'd promised their families they'd come back soon. They more than kept their word. Went as mere men. Came back as heroes in coffins”. GALLANTRY AWARDS A number of Indian soldiers earned awards for gallantry. PARAM VIR CHAKRA MAHA VIR CHAKRA A SALUTE TO SOLDIERS OF KARGIL WAR KARGIL'S FIRST HERO Lt. Saurabh Kalia KARGIL WAR HEROES Lt. Colonel Vishwanathan Lt.Colonel Vishwanathan Major Ajay Singh Jasrotia Major Padmaphani Acharya Major Mariappan Saravanan Major Rajesh Singh Adhikari Major Manoj Talwar Major Vivek Gupta Major Ajay Kumar LETTER'S & UNIFORM QUOTABLEQUOTABLE QUOTESQUOTES "Why should I cry ? Everyone dying on the front is my son and I pray that next time I get 10 sons, all for the country." -Mother of Major Adhikari, killed in Drass Sector. "May every home produce a son like you so that the enemy dare not touch the territorial sanctity of our country." - Mother of Lt. Saurav Kalia, killed in Kargil "I feel privileged as the country is proud of my son who has become a martyr ... and is immortal." -Father of Flt Engr. Raj Kishore Sahu, killed in Kargil .