The Kargil War | India vs Pakistan

Beginning in May 1999, the war was fought in the rugged Kargil district of Kashmir, along the Line of Control. This line divides Indian-controlled Kashmir from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, a legacy of the partition of British India in 1947.

The conflict was initiated by Pakistan, who sent soldiers and paramilitary forces across the Line of Control. They took control of several high-altitude outposts on the Indian side, under the guise of Kashmiri insurgents, aiming to cut off the crucial Srinagar-Leh Highway.

India, caught off guard by this audacious move, launched 'Operation Vijay'. India's objective was clear - to regain control of the territory that was occupied by the intruders. The operation involved a vast number of troops and high-tech equipment.

The terrain was treacherous. Imagine fighting at altitudes of up to 18,000 feet, with temperatures dipping below freezing. Add to that, the Indian soldiers were climbing steep hills while under constant fire. The conditions were brutal, the fighting even more so.

In the aftermath, the war prompted a significant shift in India's military and strategic policy, with increased focus on surveillance, intelligence, and defense preparedness. For Pakistan, it marked a setback in its attempts to internationalize the Kashmir issue.