India is all set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Kargil war on July 26. Known as a significant armed conflict between India and Pakistan, the Kargil war was held in 1999 and lasted for around three months. It led to the loss of many lives with India losing over 500 soldiers.
Fought along the Line of Control (LOC), the war began when the Kargil region was attacked suddenly by Pakistani forces. However, the Indian Army evicted Pakistani intruders and succeeded in recapturing the Tiger Hill and other posts as part of Operation Vijay. In order to commemorate India’s win in the war and honour the sacrifice of the slain soldiers, the Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated every year on July 26.
Five key battles shaped the outcome of Kargil war.
Battle of Tololing: At almost 16,000 feet near Dras, the Tololing peak gave the Pakistani forces a sweeping view of a key stretch of the Srinagar-Leh highway. This stretch allowed the intruders to dominate the highway and impede the Indian troop movement to forward posts. Tololing had to be cleared but the army’s initial attempts were not fruitful. The first attack was launched by infantry soldiers on the night of May 22, 1999. The assaults intensified in the following days. However, it was only on June 13 that the enemy was finally evicted from Tololing, the first major success in the war. The breakthrough was spearheaded by 2 Rajputana Rifles and 18 Grenadiers.
Battle of point 5140: Almost 1.5 km north of Tololing, this point falls on the same ridge line across a feature called Hump. A fresh offensive was planned to dislodge the intruders from Point 5140, the highest post captured by the Pakistan Army in the Tololing complex. On June 18, soldiers of 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles were ordered to scout the area and gather intelligence on the enemy’s deployments. After gauging the area, the Indian Army attacked. By now, the 155mm FH 77 BO2 guns, better known as Bofors, were provided to aid the Army. The Army began pounding the targets on June 19. Then 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles began its assault with Captains Vikram Batra and SS Jamwal leading the charge. However, the assault teams faced stiff resistance from the Pakistan forces to take back Point 5140 on June 20. However, Batra killed four Pakistani soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. His iconic victory slogan “Yeh Dil Maange More” became the motto for a generation of Indians.
Battle of Tiger Hill: Clearing Tiger Hill was the Army’s next priority. It was another key vantage point overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway. The critical mission was assigned to 18 Grenadiers which launched the attack on July 3. The soldiers were backed by a heavy volume of artillery fire and the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000s had dropped laser-guided bombs on Tiger Hill. But a sequence of unforeseen events unfolded as the soldiers were closing in on the intruders. Accurate fire from the dominating positions halted the advance of one of the companies of 18 Grenadiers. But then Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav (19) launched what is called the most well-known battle of the Kargil war. He was riddled by 15 bullets but survived. Yadav’s solo counter-attack killed seven enemy soldiers. While Tiger Hill was captured on July 4, the Indian flag was hoisted atop it only on July 8.
Battle of point 4875: This point also made the Srinagar-Leh highway vulnerable to enemy artillery fire. The Indian Army began preparations to capture it on June 24. The prime responsibility to clear the area fell on 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles. The attack was launched on July 4. Major S Vijay Bhaskar and Major Gurpreet Singh led from two separate approaches to capture the Flat Top area of Point 4875. Rifleman Sanjay Kumar killed three Pakistani soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. He was later decorated with the Param Vir Chakra.
The fighting, however, raged on as the two companies were pinned down.
It was then that reinforcements were sent under Major Vikas Vohra and Captain Vikram Batra. By July 5, Flat Top was back in Indian hands. Batra’s glorious run in the war ended on July 7, the day Point 4875 fell to 13 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles.
Battle of Khalubar: Pakistan’s administrative and logistics base at Muntho Dhalo was northwest of Khalubar. The capture of Khalubar, assigned to 1/11 Gorkha Rifles and 22 Grenadiers, was thus critical. Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey led a series of attacks and cleared well-held enemy positions before he fell to enemy bullets. The feature was taken back on July 6.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
