Kargil Vijay Diwas 2019: Facts about 1999 Indo-Pakistan war

New Delhi, July 26: On 26 July, 2019, India is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the victory of the Indian Armed Forces over Pakistan in the conflict that took place in the mountains above Kargil on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.

The anniversary is observed each year across the nation to show respect and gratitude to the brave servicemen of the armed forces who laid down their lives to re-capture all positions that had been seized by Pakistan Army.

The Kargil war, lasted for 60 days and ended on July 26 and led to 527 deaths on India's side.

Here are some facts about the Kargil War:

• The Kargil War took place between May and July of 1999 in Jammu and Kashmir's Kargil district and was fought under the temperature of minus 10 degree Celsius.
• Indian Army was informed by a shepherd to infiltrate pakistan army in Kargil on May 3, 1999.
• India then launched Operation Vijay in Kargil sector to drive out Pak troops from the LoC.
• IAF's launched its air operations under Operation Safed Sagar in support of the army on May 26. Indian MiG-21, MiG-27 and Mirage-2000 fighters fired rockets and missiles throughout the Kargil War.
• IAF also wanted to cross the LoC slightly during the Kargil War. But the then NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee instructed the then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis that his fighter jets must not cross LoC under any circumstances.
• Pakistan shot down two Indian fighter jets while another crashed during the operation.
• Indian Navy also launched Operation Talwar to blockade Pakistani ports, especially the one in Karachi, during the Kargil war to stop the supply of oil and fuel.
• Pakistan asked the US to intervene but then American president Bill Clinton declined its request, saying Islamabad must withdraw its troops from the Line of Control.
• The Indian Army had to face great difficulties in the Kargil war since Pakistani soldiers were stationed on high hills. The jawans had to climb up under the cover or at night, which was extremely risky.
• Indian armed forces attacked the rest of the outposts as Pakistani troops withdrew and captured the last of them by July 26.
• The official death toll on the Indian side was 527 and that on the Pakistani side was between 357 and 453.
• The victory of the Kargil war was declared by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on July 14, but the Kargil Victory Day was officially announced on July 26.