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Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 honours the Indian Army’s bravery in 1999. Discover 10 key facts about the war, Operation Vijay, and the heroes who shaped history.
Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025: The day honours the immense sacrifices of the martyrs and brave soldiers. (AI generated image)
Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025: India observes and celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 every year. It’s the same day when Indian troops reclaimed their territory from Pakistani intruders back in 1999. The Kargil war, which began on May 3, continued until the Indian army drove out the Pakistani intruders from the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC). The day honours the immense sacrifices of the martyrs and brave soldiers.
Below, we have discussed some of the key facts of the Kargil War, which are also related to Kargil Vijay Diwas:
Kargil Vijay Diwas 2025: Key Facts
1. The Indian military officials used the code of “Operation Vijay” as the name for the operation to drive out the invaders and reclaim the occupied Indian Territory in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.
2. Pakistan started the war on May 3, 1999, when around 5000 intruders infiltrated into the high altitudes and rocky mountains of Kargil and captured it.
3. It was during the winters of 1998-1999 when the Pakistani Mujahideens began the secret training to dominate and claim the Siachen Glacier. They even started sending troops near the Kargil region over time with the goal of forcing India into the negotiations for the Kashmir dispute.
4. It was a joint campaign by the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and local intelligence teams, which led them to learn about the infiltration of the Pakistanis. Following this, we witnessed a series of fierce battles at peaks like Tololing, Tiger Hill, and the Batalik sector of Kargil.
5. The Kargil War was fought based on three strategies: To identify and reclaim the positions captured by Pakistan intruders, recapture these key areas, including freeing up the NH1-A to facilitate military movement on the route, ground battles between the Indian and Pakistani troops, and prevent further infiltration in those positions.
6. The Indian Air Force used MiG-2Is, MiG-23s, MiG-27s, Jaguars, and Mirage-2000 for ground attack.
7. To regain Tiger Hill in Kargil, a huge number of rockets and bombs were used. In fact, many say it was one of the largest bombardments on the enemy army after World War II.
8. Israel provided mortars and ammunition like laser-guided missiles for its fighter jets and surveillance drones, according to Nicolas Blarel’s book The Evolution of India’s Israel Policy (OUP).
9. Several Indian soldiers, including Captain Vikram Batra, Lieutenant Manoj Kumar Pandey, Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, and Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, were awarded India’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra, for their bravery and teamwork.
10. A Kargil War Memorial is built in Dras area of Jammu and Kashmir as a poignant reminder of the bravery, teamwork spirit and innumerable sacrifices of the Indian soldiers.
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te…Read More
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with 26 years of experience, specializing in covering events, festivals, and driving SEO content for News18.com. A tech-savvy person, Nibandh works closely with a young te… Read More
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