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Kargil War


The Kargil War also known as the Operation Vijay in India,[20] was a war fought between Indian armed forces and Pakistan Army in 1999. The Indian Air Force worked with Indian Army to remove the Pakistan Army and other soldiers from the occupied region in Kargil district.[21]

Kargil War
Part of Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts
Kargil war.jpgPakistan army in kargil.jpg
Top, bottom:
Indian soldiers after capturing a hill from Pakistani forces during the Kargil War
Pakistani soldiers with a shot-down Indian MiG-21 aircraft
Date3 May – 26 July 1999
(2 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Kargil district, Jammu and Kashmir, (now Ladakh, India)
Result

Indian victory[4]

  • India regains possession of Kargil
Territorial
changes		 Status quo ante bellum
Belligerents
 India  Pakistan
Flag of Jihad.svg United Jihad Council[1]
Flag of the Taliban.svg Afghan mercenaries[2][3]
Commanders and leaders
Flag of India.svg Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Flag of India.svg V.P. Malik
Flag of India.svg Yashwant Tipnis
Flag of India.svg Nirmal Vij
Flag of India.svg Krishnan Pal
Flag of India.svg Mohinder Puri
Flag of India.svg O. P. Nandrajog		 Flag of Pakistan.svg Nawaz Sharif
Flag of Pakistan.svg Pervez Musharraf
Flag of Pakistan.svg Aziz Khan
Flag of Pakistan.svg Ashraf Rashid
Flag of Pakistan.svg Tauqir Zia
Strength
30,000 5,000
Casualties and losses

Indian figures:

Pakistani claims:

  • 1,600 (per Musharraf)[9]

U.S. estimate figures:

Pakistani figures:

Other Pakistani figures:

  • 4,000 killed (per Nawaz Sharif)
  • 3,000 killed (PML(N) white paper)[16]
  • 357 killed (per Musharraf)[14]

Indian claims:

  • 737–1,200 killed (at least 249 bodies recovered in Indian territory)[17][18][19]

Beginning

The cause of the war was the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers and Pakistan backed militants into areas on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) to occupy military posts vacated in the winter.[22] India responded by launching a major military and diplomatic offensive to drive out the Pakistani infiltrators.[23] Reportedly, the Pakistan infiltration in the Kargil sector was reported by the local shepherds.[24][25] The Indian Army launched a number of patrols to the area to estimate the extent of the infiltration.[25] Initially, Pakistan blamed the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri militants, but documents left behind by casualties and later statements by Pakistan's Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff revealed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces,[26][27][28] led by General Ashraf Rashid.[29] The Indian Army, later on supported by the Indian Air Force, recaptured majority of the positions on the Indian side of the LOC within two months of the conflict that were trespass by the infiltrators,[30][31] according to official count, an estimated 75%–80% of the intruded area and nearly all high ground was back under Indian control.[32] Fearing large-scale increase in seriousness in the military conflict, the international community, led by the United States, increased diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to withdraw forces from remaining Indian territory.[23][33] Faced with the possibility of international separation, the already fragile Pakistani economy was weakened further.[34][35] The morale of Pakistani forces after the withdrawal declined as many units of the Northern Light Infantry suffered heavy casualties.[36][37] The Pakistani government refused to accept the dead bodies of many officers,[38][39] which provoked anger and protests in the Northern Areas.[40][41] Pakistan initially did not admitted many of its casualties, but Nawaz Sharif later said that over 4,000 Pakistani troops were killed in the operation and that Pakistan had lost the conflict.[42][43] The Indian casualties during the conflict stood at 527 soldiers killed,[5][44][7] and 1,363 wounded.[45]

End

Pakistan lost the Kargil War. The conflict officially came to an end on July 26,[46][47] with India regaining its earlier hold on Kargil.[48]

The Kargil war is one of the most recent examples of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain.

Losses

There number of Pakistani people who died is different in different sources. Pervez Musharraf said that 357 soldiers were killed. In early stage, the US Department of State had said about 700 people died.

According to numbers given by Nawaz Sharif, there were over 4,000 dead. His PML (N) party in its "white paper" on the war wrote that more than 3,000 soldiers, officers and mujahideens were killed.[16]

Another big Pakistani political party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, also said that "thousands" of soldiers and irregulars died.[49]

Indian count says that 1,042 Pakistani soldiers killed.[50]

The official losses of India were given to be 527 dead and 1,363 wounded.[5][6][7]

Kargil War Media

  • The town of Kargil is strategically located.

  • Infiltration and military build-up

  • Indian forces in combat during Operation VIjay

  • IAF MiG-21s were used extensively in the Kargil War.

  • Operation Vijay Medal – Awarded to armed forces of India who were deployed during Operation Vijay

  • Prime minister Vajpayee checking the guns captured from Pakistani intruders during Kargil war

  • Nawaz Sharif, Prime minister at that time, after a few months a military coup d'état was initiated that ousted him and his government.

  • Memorial of Operation Vijay

  • The main entrance of Kargil War Memorial by the Indian Army at Dras, India

References

  1. ↑ Kumar, Sumita. "Pakistan's Jehadi Apparatus: Goals and Methods." Strategic Analysis, vol. 24, no. 12, 2001, https://ciaotest.cc.columbia.edu/olj/sa/sa_mar01kus01.html.
  2. ↑ It is estimated that around 2,000 "Mujahideen" might have been involved as Musharraf stated on 6 July 1999, to Pakistan's The News; online article, Asia Times quoting the General's estimate. An Indian Major General (retd) too puts the "Number of guerrillas at 2,000" Archived 6 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine, apart from the NLI Infantry Regiment.
  3. ↑ Malik, V.P.. The Kargil War: Some Reflections. CLAWS Journal (Summer 2009). Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  4. ↑ Template:Multiref
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Chakraborty, A. K.. Kargil War Brings into Sharp Focus India's Commitment to Peace (21 July 2000)Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Fernandes, George. Soldiers Killed in Kargil War. Parliamentary Questions, Lok Sabha (28 November 2002)Parliament of India. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Complete Roll of Honour of Indian Army's Killed in Action during Op Vijay. Indian Army. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  8. ↑ Fernandes, George. Soldiers Killed During Indo Pak Wars. Parliamentary Questions, Lok Sabha (8 December 1999)Parliament of India. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  9. ↑ Musharraf claims Kargil was a big success militarily for Pakistan. 1 February 2013. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2013/Feb/1/musharraf-claims-kargil-was-a-big-success-militarily-for-pak-46.asp. Retrieved 6 April 2013. 
  10. ↑ Kargil probe body had sought Musharraf's court martial. The News. 13 January 2013. https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/410307-kargil-probe-body-had-sought-musharraf%E2%80%99s-court-martial. Retrieved 22 March 2021. 
  11. ↑ Pak quietly names 453 men killed in Kargil war. 18 November 2010. http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-pak-quietly-names-453-men-killed-in-kargil-war/20101118.htm. Retrieved 6 April 2013. 
  12. ↑ Pakistan Army admits to Kargil martyrs. NDTV. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  13. ↑ PAKISTAN ARMY (in en). pakistanarmy.gov.pk. Retrieved 1 April 2025.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Musharraf now has Pak's Kargil toll: 357 (7 October 2006)indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  15. ↑ Tribune Report on Pakistani POWs. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Ill-conceived planning by Musharraf led to second major military defeat in Kargil: PML-N Archived 22 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine 6 August 2006, PakTribune
  17. ↑ Malik 2006, p. 342.
  18. ↑ Pubby, Manu (19 November 2010). "Kargil: Pak suffered most casualties at Batalik". The Indian Express. https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/kargil-pak-suffered-most-casualties-at-batalik/lite/. Retrieved 27 June 2018. "Indian records say a total of 249 bodies of Pakistani soldiers were recovered during the battle but estimates of total enemy casualties is put around 1000–1200.". 
  19. ↑ Kanwal, Gurmeet. Pakistan's Strategic Blunder at Kargil. CLAWS Journal (2009). p. 72. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  20. ↑ It is also sometimes referred to as Operation Vijay Kargil so as to distinguish it from Operation Vijay, the 1961 operation by the military of India that led to the capture of Goa, Daman and Diu and Anjidiv Islands.
  21. ↑ Op Safed Sagar: Understanding Air Operations in KargilIndian Air Force.
  22. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 1999 Kargil Conflict.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Wolpert, Stanley. India and Pakistan: Continued Conflict or Cooperation? (14 Aug 2010)University of California Press. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-520-27140-1.
  24. ↑ Bahl, Y. Kargil Blunder: Pakistan's Plight, India's Victory (2000)Manas Publications. p. 172. ISBN 978-81-7049-120-0.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Shastri, Amita. The Post-Colonial States of South Asia: Political and Constitutional Problems (2013)Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-11874-6. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  26. ↑ Clancy, Tom. Battle Ready (2004)Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-399-15176-7.
  27. ↑ Pak commander blows the lid on Islamabad's Kargil plot. 12 June 2009. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/as-spell-binding-as-the-guns-of-navarone/475330/. Retrieved 13 June 2009. 
  28. ↑ "Sharif admits he let down Vajpayee on Kargil conflict". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 10 September 2007. http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/10/stories/2007091059781400.htm. Retrieved 6 October 2007. 
  29. ↑ Nawaz, Shuja, Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within, p. 420 (2007)
  30. ↑ Ali, Tariq. Bitter Chill of Winter. http://www.lrb.co.uk/v23/n08/ali_01_.html. Retrieved 2009-05-20. 
  31. ↑ Nanda, Ravi. Kargil: A Wake Up Call (1999)Vedams Books. ISBN 978-81-7095-074-5. Online summary of the Book Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ↑ Kargil: where defence met diplomacy - India's then Chief of Army Staff VP Malik, expressing his views on Operation Vijay. Hosted on Daily Times; The Fate of Kashmir By Vikas Kapur and Vipin Narang Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine Stanford Journal of International Relations; Book review of "The Indian Army: A Brief History by Maj Gen Ian Cardozo" - Hosted on IPCS
  33. ↑ R. Dettman, Paul. India Changes Course: Golden Jubilee to Millennium (2001)Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 119–120. ISBN 978-0-275-97308-7.
  34. ↑ Samina Ahmed. "Diplomatic Fiasco: Pakistan's Failure on the Diplomatic Front Nullifies its Gains on the Battlefield" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (Belfer Center for International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government)
  35. ↑ Daryl Lindsey and Alicia Montgomery. Coup d'itat: Pakistan gets a new sheriff. salon.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  36. ↑ War in Kargil - The CCC's summary on the war. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  37. ↑ Samina Ahmed. "A Friend for all Seasons." Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (Belfer Center for International Affairs, Kennedy School of Government)
  38. ↑ Rediff On The NeT: Pakistan refuses to take even officers' bodies. rediff.com. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
  39. ↑ "press release issued in New Delhi regarding bodies of two Pakistan Army Officers"
  40. ↑ Second-Class Citizens by M. Ilyas Khan, The Herald (Pakistan), July 2000. Online scanned version of the article Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine(PDF)
  41. ↑ Musharraf and the truth about Kargil Archived 2011-05-03 at the Wayback Machine - The Hindu 25 September 2006
  42. ↑ Over 4000 soldier's killed in Kargil: Sharif. The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  43. ↑ Kapur, S. Paul. Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia (2007)Stanford University Press. p. 227. ISBN 978-0-8047-5549-8.
  44. ↑ Breakdown of casualties into Officers, JCOs, and Other Ranks. Parliament of India Website. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  45. ↑ Official statement giving breakdown of wounded personnel. Parliament of India Website. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
  46. ↑ SarDesai, D. R. India: The Definitive History (2007)Westview Press. p. 450. ISBN 978-0-8133-4352-5. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  47. ↑ Singh, Danvir (Col). Kashmir's Death Trap: Tales of Perfidy and Valour (2014)Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN 978-1-940988-13-9. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  48. ↑ Lyon, Peter. Conflict Between India and Pakistan: An Encyclopedia (2008)ABC-CLIO. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-57607-712-2. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  49. ↑ Indo-Pak summit 2001. Pakistan Peoples Party (12 October 2007). Retrieved 27 May 2009.
  50. ↑ Hindustan Times – Archive News. Hindustan Times.
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