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Since the Partition of British India in 1947 and subsequent creation of the dominions of India and Pakistan, the two countries have been involved in a number of wars, conflicts, and military standoffs. A long-running dispute over Kashmir and cross-border terrorism have been the predominant cause of conflict between the two states, with the exception of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which occurred as a direct result of hostilities stemming from the Bangladesh Liberation War in erstwhile East Pakistan.
Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory, and constituting a part of the larger Kashmir region, which has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, and has been under Chinese control since 1962. Until 2019, Ladakh was a region of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. In August 2019, the Parliament of India passed an act by which Ladakh became a union territory on 31 October 2019.
The term status quo ante bellum is a Latin phrase meaning "the situation as it existed before the war".
Kargil district is a district in Ladakh, a region administered by India as a union territory. It spans the entire length of Ladakh in the north–south direction, with Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Leh district to the east, the Pakistan-administered region of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north and Himachal Pradesh to the south. Encompassing two historical regions known as Purig and Zanskar, the district lies to the northwest of the Great Himalayan range and encompasses the majority of the Zanskar Range. Its population inhabits the river valleys of the Dras, Suru, Kartse, Wakha, and Zanskar rivers.
The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict fought between India and Pakistan from May to July of 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 military operation to clear out the Kargil sector. The Indian Air Force's role in acting jointly with Indian Army ground troops during the war was aimed at flushing out regular and irregular troops of the Pakistan Army from vacated Indian positions along the LoC. This particular operation was given the codename Operation Safed Sagar.
The Northern Light Infantry (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, the capital of Gilgit–Baltistan. Along with other Pakistani military forces present in the Northern Areas, the NLI has the primary responsibility of conducting ground operations in the interest of protecting the strategically important region of Pakistan. The regiment draws a majority of its recruits from native tribes present in the nearby mountainous areas and therefore they are less prone to altitude sickness and cold temperatures that characterize high-altitude mountain warfare, allowing the regiment to conduct its duties optimally.
LOC Kargil is a 2003 Indian Hindi-language historical war film based on the Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan, produced and directed by J. P. Dutta under his J.P. Films Banner. The film features an ensemble cast of Bollywood stars and music composed by Aadesh Shrivastava and Anu Malik, with the former composing the score and the latter composing the songs. The film was recorded as average at the box office.
Captain Vikram Batra, PVC was an officer of the Indian Army, awarded with the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest and most prestigious award for valour, for his actions during the 1999 Kargil War.
Operation Safed Sagar was the code name assigned to the Indian Air Force's role in acting jointly with the Ground troops during the 1999 Kargil war that was aimed at flushing out regular and irregular troops of the Pakistani Army from vacated Indian Positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control. It was the first large scale use of Airpower in the Jammu and Kashmir region since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The Dras River, also spelt Drass River, is a river in the Kargil district in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It originates below the Zoji La pas in the Great Himalayan range and flows northeast towards Kargil, where it joins the Suru River. The Shingo River, which flows in a parallel direction in Pakistan-administered Baltistan, also joins the Drass River. The combined river is alternatively called Suru, Drass and Shingo by various local groups.
The Bihar Regiment is an Indian Army infantry regiment. It traces its origins back to the British Indian Army. The Bihar Regiment was formed in 1941 by regularising the 11th (Territorial) Battalion, the 19th Hyderabad Regiment, and raising new battalions. The Bihar Regimental Centre (BRC) is located at Danapur Cantonment, Patna, the second oldest cantonment of India. INS Vikramaditya, the Indian Navy's largest ship and its sole aircraft carrier is affiliated to the Bihar Regiment, Indian Army's highly-decorated and battle-hardened unit. The regiment also distinguishes itself by having the highest number of Rashtriya Rifles battalions among all regiments of the Indian Army.
Dras, a tourist hub for its high altitude trekking routes and tourist sites, is a Hill Station in the Kargil district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. Drass is theSecond Coldest Inhabited Place in the world. It is on the NH 1 between Zoji La pass and Kargil town. It is often called "The Gateway to Ladakh". The government's official spelling of the town is Drass.
Tiger Hill traditionally known as Gangz La is a mountain in the Drass-Kargil area of Ladakh, India. It is one of the highest peaks in the area and was the subject of a battle during the 1999 Kargil War.
The Mushkoh Valley is a valley situated in Dras, located within the Indian-administered union territory of Ladakh. Widely considered to be glaciated and unsuitable for human habitation, it came into prominence during the Kargil War in 1999, when Pakistani forces crossed the Line of Control and took up positions in the region. The Mushkoh Valley is situated at the westernmost extremity of Ladakh, to the west of which lies the northern reaches of the Kashmir Valley, located in the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Kargil Vijay Diwas is a holiday observed in India on the 26th of July. On this date in 1999 India successfully took command of the high outposts. The Kargil war was fought for more than 60 days and ended on 26 July 1999, when the Pakistani army took advantage of the melting snow and - betraying the bilateral understanding of both the nations that the post would remain unattended during the winter season - took command of the high outposts of India. The Pakistani army denied involvement in the war, claiming that it was caused by independent Kashmiri rebel forces, however documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by General Ashraf Rashid. The Kargil war resulted in loss of life on both the sides and was ended when India regained control over the post and ejected the Pakistani Army out of the territory.
Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some 20 km (12 mi) directly north of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan. With Pakistan controlling areas just to the west along Chumik Glacier, the immediate Gyong La area has been under India's control since 1989. Dozens of Indian military tents and other equipment are visible in 2013 and 2016 Google Earth imagery 100 meters east, 670 meters northeast, and 2.7 km east-northeast of Gyong La, linked by clear trails. Nearer the former Pakistani "Naveed Top" position and 3.85 km west-northwest of Gyong La is a post and helipad is visible in 2001 and 2016 Google Earth imagery at 5,800 m (19,000 ft) elevation, higher than both the Indian positions and Gyong La.
The Kargil War Memorial, also known as Dras War Memorial, is a war memorial built by the Indian Army in the town of Dras, commemorating the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan. The memorial is located on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway 1D, about 5 km from the city centre across the Tiger Hill.
Point 5353 is a mountain peak on the Line of Control dividing the Indian- and Pakistani-administered portions of Kashmir in the vicinity of Dras in the Kargil district. It is the highest peak along the Marpo La ridge and dominates the entire area on both the sides of the Line of Control. Today, Point 5353 remains in Pakistani military possession.
Point 5310 is a mountain peak in the Chorbat La area in the vicinity of Kargil. It is located at a distance of about one kilometre on the Pakistani side of the LoC. The peak located on the Pakistani side of LoC was captured in an operation by troops of the Indian Army on April 8, 2000. Two Indian soldiers including a JCO Subedar Bharnam Singh were killed by an avalanche during the operation. The operation was carried out by the 14th battalion of the Sikh Regiment.
Yaldor Sub Sector was the scene of some of the major infiltration by Pakistani Northern Light Infantry battalions and some of the major battles of Kargil War were fought here. The sub sector basically covers Yaldor, a small village in the Indus river basin in the Leh district of Ladakh in India, and Yaldor nullah. The village located in the upper reaches of the mountains near the Line of Control that divides the Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the village abuts the Yaldor nullah. The area was a focal point during the Kargil War because of its strategic location between Kargil, Leh and Baltistan. Only a few shepherd families live in Yaldor village, they spend their summers here and then spend their winters in Garkhun, taking their livestock with them. One of the shepherds from Garkhun, Tashi Namgyal, who was looking for his missing yak was the first to report about infiltrators from Pakistan on 3 May 1999 to Indian Army. The village has an army patrol base, which was set up in 1997 even before the Kargil infiltration of 1999. As of 2019, the village is out of bounds for tourists.
References
- 1 2 3 4 Mehta, Gen Ashok K. (13 July 2014). "Point 5353 still in Pakistan's possession: India's Kargil agenda is incomplete". The Tribune. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- 1 2 Singh, Amarinder (2001). A Ridge Too Far: War in the Kargil Heights 1999. Motibagh Palace. pp. 158, 164. ISBN 9788193107416.
- 1 2 Nath, Rajendra (2003). Musharraf's War. Lancers Books. p. 161.
- 1 2 Puri, Mohinder (2015). Kargil: Turning the Tide. Lancer Publishers LLC. p. 130. ISBN 9781940988238.
- ↑ Malik, V. P. (2010). Kargil from Surprise to Victory. HarperCollins. p. 163. ISBN 9789350293133.
- ↑ B. L. Kak, Pakistan Troops Pose Threat To Dras-Kargil Highway, Daily Excelsior, 29 August 2000.