Kargil war victory celebrations

Kargil war victory celebrations

                                                    

FACTFILE

Theatre: About 160 kms along the LoC through Mushkoh, Dras, Kaksar, Kargil and Batalik in J&K;, at heights up to 18,000 feet

Duration: May—July 1999

Operational names

Op Vijay: (Indian Army)

Op Safed Sagar: (Indian Air Force)

Op Talwar: (Indian Navy)

Op Badr: (Pakistan)

Cause: Pakistani troops occupied about 130 vacated posts on the Indian side of the LoC.

Significance: Pakistani aim was to interdict the critically important National Highway 1-A, thereby cutting off Ladakh from Kashmir.

Result : Pakistani troops evicted. Tactical and diplomatic victory for India.

ORDER OF BATTLE

India

n 15 Corps

n 3 infantry Division

n 8 Mountain Division

n 121 (I) Brigade

n 50 (I) Para Brigade

Pakistan

n 10 Corps

n 19 Infantry Division

n FCNA: Force Commander Northern Area

n Artillery units: 18

n Engineer Battalions: 2

n SSG Companies: 2

ROLL OF HONOUR

Gallantry Awards (India)

Param Vir Chakra: 4

Maha Vir Chakra: 8

Vir Chakra: 51

Battle / Theatre Honours

Total: 23

Infantry: 17 battalions (3 bns, 18 Gren, 2 Raj Rif & 14 J&K; Rif) got honours twice)

Engineers: 3 regiments

Artillery: 3 regiments

CASUALTIES

India

Killed: 527

Wounded: 1,363

POW: 1

Pakistan

Killed: 4,000 (stated by ex-PM Nawaz Sharif)

Wounded: 1,000 (estimate)

POW: 8

CONFLICT CHRONOLOGY

May 3, 1999: Pakistani intrusion in Kargil reported by local shepherds

May 5: Army patrols sent up; Five Indian soldier captured and tortured to death.

May 9: Heavy shelling by Pakistan damages ammunition dump in Kargil

May 10: Infiltrations first noticed in Dras, Kaksar and Mushkoh sectors

Mid-May: Army moves in more troops from Kashmir Valley to Kargil Sector

May 26: IAF launches air strikes against infiltrators

May 27: IAF looses two fighters — MiG-21 and MiG-29;. Flt Lt Nachiketa taken POW (Prisioner of War)

May 28: IAF MI-17 shot down by Pakistan; four air crew dead

June 1: Pakistan steps up attacks; bombs NH-1-A

June 5: Indian Army releases documents recovered from three Pakistani soldiers indicating Pakistan’s involvement.

June 6: Indian Army launches major offensive in Kargil

June 9: Indian Army re-captures two key positions in the Batalic sector

June 11: India releases intercepts of conversation between Pakistani Army Chief Gen Pervez Musharraf, while on a visit to China and Chief of General Staff Lt Gen Aziz Khan in Rawalpindi, as proof of Pakistani Army’s involvement.

June 13: Indian Army secures Tololing in Dras

June 15: US President Bill Clinton, in a telephonic conversation, asks Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to pull out from Kargil

June 29: Indian Army captures two vital posts — Point 5060 and Point 5100 near Tiger Hill

July 2: Indian Army launches three-pronged attack in Kargil

July 4: Indian Army recaptures Tiger Hill after an 11-hour battle

July 5: Indian Army takes control of Dras. Sharif announces Pakistani army’s withdrawal from Kargil following his meeting with Clinton.

July 7: India recaptures Jubar Heights in Batalik

July 11: Pakistan begins pullout; India captures key peaks in Batalik

July 14: PM Vajpayee declares operation Vijay a success. Government sets condition for talks with Pakistan

July 26: Kargil conflict officially comes to an end. Army announces complete eviction of Pak intruders

Kargil War: Need to learn strategic lessons

Author :- General (Retd) V P Malik