Army personnel paid tribute to the martyrs at Dras, in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir on the 16th anniversary of the war. In the capital Delhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with other service chiefs paid tribute at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.
So as the country holds memorial services for the soldiers who valiantly fought for our nation, Skymet brings you certain facts about the Kargil war.
Beginning of the historic war
The Kargil war was announced on May 1999, when the Pakistani troops and the Kashmiri militants infiltrated the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and the Line of Control (LOC). The infiltrators intruded the area that apparently divided the Indian territory of Ladakh from the northern parts of the state.
Brain box behind the war
Pakistani Army Chief Parvez Musharraf is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack. He was supported by Leiutenant General Mohammed Aziz.
Battling inclement weather in Drass
The battle ground was the 18000 feet high-altitude rocky terrain. The soldiers had to fight the enemies under extremely low temperatures. The Drass region is also prone to flash floods and cloud bursts.
One of the highest peaks in the Drass-Kargil area of the state, the Tiger Hill, was the main point from where the war was fought. The Indian army was on a lower height, while the Pakistani army was sitting at a position of advantage.
Drass witnesses a sub-arctic climate and is known to be the second coldest inhabited place in the world. Here temperatures mostly remain in single digits throughout the year.
Indian Army
The Indian Army had positioned five infantry divisions, five brigades and 44 battalions of paramilitary troops to Kashmir. Around 60 frontline aircrafts were also deployed for the Kragil war.
Lives lost
The Kargil war resulted in the death of hundreds of soldiers on both Indian and Pakistani sides. Thousands were also injured. Several war inflicted families are battling the repercussions of the war even after 16 years.
Image Credit - sainiksamachar.in