Kargil Vijay Diwas: 27 defining moments from the 1999 India-Pakistan war
Kargil Diwas 2023: The nation today stands together in saluting the valour of those who laid down their lives to safeguard the Motherland. Let us take a look the timeline of Pakistan's betrayal and India's scathing fightback on Kargil's heights.
FollowEvery year on July 26, Kargil Vijay Diwas, also known as Kargil Victory Day, is commemorated to celebrate India's triumph in the 1999 war against Pakistan. This significant day pays tribute to the courage and selflessness displayed by Indian soldiers during the intense and prolonged conflict. On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army proudly declared the successful conclusion of 'Operation Vijay,' signifying their victory after a gruelling three-month-long battle in the icy heights of Kargil, which included strategically vital locations like Tololing and Tiger Hill.
Kargil Vijay Diwas Facts: How India crushed Pakistan's Misadventure
Let us take a look at the timeline of Pakistan's betrayal and India's fightback:
* 3 May 1999: Shepherds report Intruders sighted at Banju Headquarters, 70 Infantry Brigade arrives at Dras.
* 5 May 1999: A patrol led by Captain Saurabh Kalia is sent out to examine the suspicion of intrusion, and the war commences.
* 6 May 1999: NH 1A opened to traffic.
* 16 May 1999: 56 Mountain Brigade takes over Dras-Mushkoh Sector.
* 18 May 1999: Capture of Points 4295 and 4460.
* 21 May 1999: 8 Sikh regiment starts siege of Tiger Hill.
* 23 May 1999: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) visits the Kargil sector and lays out priorities and doctrine for the operation.
* 24 May 1999: 79 Mountain Brigade takes over Mushkoh Sub-Sector.
* 26 May 1999: Indian Air Force begins Air Operations in support of 15 Corps.
* 1 June 1999: Headquarters 8 Mountain Division completes takeover, military build-up starts.
* 3 June 1999: 8 Division assumes responsibility for part of the Kargil Theatre west of Thasgam.
* 12 June 1999: Ongoing talks between Indian and Pakistani Foreign Ministers deadlocked. 50 (I) Parachute Brigade arrives in Gumri and comes under the command of 8 Divisions.
* 13 June 1999: 56 Brigade takes Tololing and Point 4590.
* 14 June 1999: Indian Forces take the ‘Hump’.
* 15 June 1999: United States President Bill Clinton urges Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to withdraw.
* 20 June 1999: 56 Brigade takes Point 5140.
* 23 June 1999: General Zinni, Commanding General of United States Central Command, visits Pakistan to urge Nawaz Sharif to withdraw. The G-8 Nations call for an end to the intrusion.
* 26 June 1999: 192 Mountain Brigade arrives in Dras from the valley and comes under the command of 8 Mountain Division.
* 28 June 1999: 56 Brigade takes Point 4700.
* 29 June 1999: 56 Brigade captures area ‘Black Rock’, ‘Three Pimple’, and ‘Knoll’.
* 1 July 1999: 70 Brigade captures Point 5000.
* 3 July 1999: 70 Brigade captures Point 5287. End of 8 SIKH siege of Tiger Hill.
* 4 July 1999: 192 Brigade captures Tiger Hill. Nawaz Sharif, in Washington, was urged by Clinton to start talking with India.
* 5 July 1999: 79 Brigade takes Point 4875 complex. Virtually the whole of Mushkoh and Dras were clear of the enemy.
* 12-18 July 1999: Cease-fire to allow safe withdrawal of Pakistan troops across LC (They reneged, and the war resumed).
* 24 July 1999: 192 Brigade takes Zulu Spur Complex.
* 26 July 1999: The Kargil war officially ends.
Kargil Vijay Diwas 2023: The story of Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar's valour
