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The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict
between India and Pakistan that took place between 3 May and 26 July 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
operation to clear the Kargil sector. The cause of the war was the infiltration of
Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants into positions on the Indian side of the Line
of Control, which serves as the de facto border between the two nations. Pakistan
blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents. However, documents
left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Army
Chief showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces. The Indian Army,
supported by the air force, attacked the Pakistani positions and, with international
diplomatic support, eventually forced a Pakistani withdrawal across the Line of Control
(LOC). The standoff between approximately 10,000-20,000 Indian troops and 80,000
Chinese troops ended on 21st November after China declared a ceasefire.
LOCATION
The war is occur at the Kargil District, Kashmir that is between India and
Pakistan border. The town of Kargil is located 205 km (127 mi) from Srinagar, facing
the Northern Areas across the Line of Control (LOC). Like other areas in the
Himalayas, Kargil has a continental climate. Summers are cool with frigid nights, while
winters are long and chilly with temperatures often dropping to −48 °C (−54 °F). The
combination of thin air, cold weather and rugged mountains has dramatic effects on
men and their equipment. Reduced oxygen leads to a variety of physiological changes
and illnesses, some of which can prove fatal. Low air pressure alters the accuracy and
range of both weaponry and aircraft. Cold weather incapacitates soldiers and
degrades equipment. Mountainous terrain makes all aspects of warfare more difficult.
THE WAR
There were three major phases to the Kargil War. First, Pakistan infiltrated
forces into the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir. The next stage consisted of India
discovering the infiltration and mobilizing forces to respond to it. The final stage
involved major battles by Indian and Pakistani forces. Because the Pakistani soldiers
and terrorists had positioned themselves at higher altitudes, it gave them an
advantage in combat, as they could fire down at advancing Indian troops. Pakistan
shot down two Indian fighter jets while another fighter jet crashed during the operation.
Pakistan asked the US to intervene, but then President Bill Clinton declined to do so
until Pakistani troops were withdrawn from the Line of Control. As Pakistani troops
withdrew, the Indian armed forces attacked the rest of the outposts, managing to get
back the last of them by July 26. In addition, the Kargil War is also involved with few
other battle and operation that include the Operation Vijay, Operation Safed Sagar
and Operation Talwar.
The Indian Air Force launched “Operation Safed Sagar” in support of the
mobilization of Indian land forces, but its effectiveness during the war was limited by
the high altitude and weather conditions, which in turn limited bomb loads and the
number of airstrips that could be used.
The Indian Navy also prepared to blockade the Pakistani ports to cut off supply
routes under “Operation Talwar”. The Indian Navy's western and eastern fleets joined
in the North Arabian Sea and began aggressive patrols and threatened to cut
Pakistan’s sea trade. This exploited Pakistan's dependence on sea based oil and trade
flows. Later, then-Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif disclosed that Pakistan
was left with just six days of fuel to sustain itself if a full-scale war had broken.
On 26 July 1999, India regains possession of Kargil and that is decisive Indian
victory. The Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July, as soon as
the Drass subsector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on July
26. The Army declared the mission successful on July 26, 1999, since then the day
has been celebrated annually as Kargil Vijay Diwas. By the end of the war, Pakistan
had to withdraw under international pressure and due to pressure from continued
fighting at battle front and left India in control of all territory south and east of the Line
of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Simla Agreement.
CASUALITIES
The victory came at a high price. The official death toll on the both side was
Pakistan confirmed that 453 soldiers were killed meanwhile India gave its official
casualty figures as 527 killed and 1,363 wounded.
AFTERMATH
From the end of the war until February 2000, the Indian stock market rose by
more than 30%. The next Indian national budget included major increases in military
spending. After the war, the Indian government severed ties with Pakistan and
increased defence preparedness. India increased its defence budget as it sought to
acquire more state of the art equipment. Kashmir became the nuclear flash point and
Kargil issue was made internationalized. India and Pakistan both came to know their
potentials. Pakistan’s foreign policy was failed and the propagator front was proved a
total collapse. Shortly after declaring itself a nuclear weapons state, Pakistan had been
humiliated diplomatically and militarily. Faced with the possibility of international
isolation, the already fragile Pakistan economy was weakened further. The morale of
Pakistan forces after the withdrawal declined as many units of the Northern Light
Infantry suffered heavy casualties. The government refused to accept the dead bodies
of many officers an issue that provoked outrage and protests in the Northern Areas
because Pakistan initially did not acknowledge many of its casualties.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/kargil-99.htm
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/all-you-need-to-know-about-
kargil-war/gallantry-awards/slideshow/59772219.cms