Kargil Vijay Diwas: Some lesser-known facts about the Kargil War

The 22nd anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas, the day that celebrates the victory of India against Pakistan in the Kargil War, is on Monday. Both the neighbouring countries fought the Kargil War between May 3 and July 26 in 1999. The gruesome war, which lasted for 84 days, took place in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LOC).

Also Read: Kargil Vijay Diwas 2021: All you need to know about the Kargil War

On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Indians pay homage to the Kargil martyrs and celebrates the valour of our soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice to uphold and safeguard the integrity of the nation. 

While the stories of these brave hearts will be heard and remembered by posterity till time immemorial, there are some facts that still remain less known to common people. Here are some lesser-known facts about Kargil Vijay Diwas.

At least 500 soldiers were martyred in the war

The proud victory of India in the Kargil war came at a high price. Over 500, approximately 515-530 Indian Armed forces personnel embraced martyrdom during the faceoff with Pakistan to regain control of previously held territories and re-establish the status quo.

However, our brave soldiers killed at least 700 Pakistani military personnel in the confrontation.

Operation Safed Sagar 

‘Operation Safed Sagar’ was the special air operation carried out after the Indian military called for air support during the Kargil War. It was, indeed a milestone in the history of military aviation, as this was the first time that airpower was employed in such an environment, according to the Indian Air Force (IAF). 

Under this exercise, IAF mounted attacks on the infiltrators without crossing the LoC. While there was considerable pressure from outside for the IAF to operate only attack helicopters, the force managed to convince the government that in order to create a suitable environment for the helicopters, fighter action was required.

Kargil War was fought under minus 10 degree

The Kargil war was fought for around 84 days under testing conditions. Many people do not know that the war was fought under minus
10-degree temperature. Until July 4, 1999, the Indian Army had captured strategic
peaks like Tiger Hill and Tololing

Also Read: This Gujarat village swears by one tradition: A soldier from every home

Best of Indian soldiers came out in Kargil War

While the valour of Indian Armed forces soldiers had and will continue to be exceptional but the army saw some of its best fighters in action in the 1999 Kargil War.
Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, Captain Vikram Batra, Yogender Singh Yadav and
Rifleman Sanjay Kumar received the prestigious Param Veer Chakra for the conquer of the peak in Kargil.