In India, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on July 26 to remember the sacrifices of Indian brave hearts who made the victory of our country in the Kargil war in 1999 possible.
It has been almost 24 years since India successfully carried out “Operation Vijay” against Pakistan in the Jammu and Kashmir sector of Kargil now in Ladakh.
While undoubtedly it was the grit and courage of the Indian Army that made this historic win possible, there are many important facts associated with it.
Know about some such important facts associated with the Kargil War:
Kargil War was fought for 3 months
It was on July 26 that the Indian Army announced its victory over the Rangers of Pakistan in Kargil. But the battle itself lasted for around three months and it was a very difficult fight as the Indian soldiers had to reach the icy heights of the Kargil Mountain with the army at the top firing downwards.
It was one of the bravest and toughest battles fought on the highest battlefield in the world.
War started on May 3
Pakistan started this war on May 3 in 1999 by infiltrating the rocky mountains of Kargil at a high altitude with 5000 soldiers Pakistan capturing the Kargil region. When India got information about it, “Operation Vijay” was launched to throw back intruders from the Indian land.
Pre-planning from Pakistan
The planning for this violation of LOC was going on from the side of Pakistan since the winter of 1989. The Pakistani Army had slowly started training its soldiers and increasing its number of soldiers near Kargil so that it can dominate the area and the aim was to claim Siachen Glacier.
The soldiers from Pakistan even said that they were Mujahideen and not Pakistani. The intention of the enemy was to divert international attention to the dispute so that India is forced to negotiate on the Kashmir issue.
A large number of rockets and bombs were used
Around 2.50 lakh shells, rockets, and bombs were used during the Kargil War and 5,000 artillery shells, rockets, and bombs were fired from 300 guns and mortars. At that time it was said that after World War II it was the first time that such a huge amount of bombardments and ammunitions were used. Of course, things have changed after the ongoing Ukraine and Russia war.
Not USA, but Israel helped India
The G8 countries like the USA, France, the UK, Germany, Russia, Japan, Italy, and Canada condemned Pakistan for triggering a war. During the war, the USA supposedly condemned Pakistan but it did not offer any GPS help.
Incidentally, it was Israel who helped India with GPS and arms and weaponry. Israel gave UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or Automation). Later on during the reign of the Modi Government India too developed its Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) in 2016.
Controversial Bofors were used for the first time
The controversial Bofors FH-77B howitzers which caused quite a scandal in India were used for the first time in Kargil War to eliminate enemies located at the top. These weapons were instrumental in India emerging victorious.
First ever war shot live in India
It was the first ever war that was shot live and telecast on Indian television and as a result, what was happening at the war front was clearly visible to Indians.
Kargil War had political repercussions
The war also brought some political changes in both Pakistan and India. After the Kargil win, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government came into power with a full majority while in Pakistan everything was in a mess as their Army Chief Parvez Musharraf upsurge the Nawaz Sharif government to seize power.