Kargil War has been one of the memorable tragedies across the globe that will always be remembered by every Indian. The Kargil War Heroes showed their bravery and initiated Operation Vijay that lead to the victory of Indian Armed Forces but heavy loss. As a symbol of victory, Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on 26th of July, every year. The day is especially dedicated to all brave heroes of Kargil war who lost their lives for the motherland. Here are 21 interesting facts about Kargil War that you should know.
1. Kargil District is located in Jammu & Kashmir and is 205 Km from Srinagar. The Line of Control is marked on the Geographic Map on the basis of Shimla Accord.
2. Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan in Kargil, which was initially Baltistan district and was separated via LOC (Line of Control) after 1st War of Kashmir.
3. After Bangladesh was successfully separated from Pakistan in 1971 and came out as an independent Country, Kargil was the 1st war fought by India and Pakistan.
4. At the time of Kargil War, Atal Bihari Vajpayee was leading the country as Prime Minister of India and was running the NDA-Led government in the center.
5. The war was a result of infiltration of Pakistani Soldiers and militants across the Line of Control in Kargil.
6. Indian Army deployed about 7 lakh soldiers to throw back the Pakistani Soldiers and infiltrates who crossed LOC and entered the Indian area.
7. To omit the infiltration, Indian Army launched “OPERATION VIJAY”. This operation was officially declared completed on 26th July; hence it’s celebrated as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
8. The National highway 1D (NH 1D) was the lifeline of people living in Kargil region. The NH1D connects Srinagar and Leh region.
9. It was on 3rd of May 1999, when some local shepherds noticed unwanted activities across the mountains of Kargil. They immediately informed the Indian Army. The report says that the infiltrators were preparing sentry posts over the Kargil Mountains and were adding heavy arms for support.
10. In the second week of May 1999, Indian Army received the Mutilated body of Captain Saurabh Kalia along with 5 other Indian Soldiers. This is a hard response Indian Army received from Pakistan. On one hand, where Indian Army offer proper coffin for Pakistani soldiers, they send the mutilated bodies of our martyr Soldiers. The incident of Saurabh Kalia and Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja boosts the anger of Indian Army to take revenge from Pakistan.
11. In the initial days of Kargil war, Pakistani soldiers attacked NH 1A (renamed as NH 44) to block the availability of ration and arms of Indian Army posted in Kargil forward posts. The NH44 connects Kashmir to Jammu.
12. Against NH 44, the NH 1D was used as an alternative route for arms and food supply. This 474 km long Leh-Manali highway, was used to avoid heavy shelling of Pakistan on NH 1A (renamed as NH 44).
13. 1999 Kargil War was held months after India and Pakistan singed Shimla Agreement. Under Shimla Agreement, no country will use arms against each other. On contrary to this agreement, Indian and Pakistani Army fought in May-July 1999.
14. The Indian Air Force was given just 1 week training to execute the Operation “SAFED SAGAR”. Even with just 1 week of training, the IAF devoted their humble contribution in Kargil war of 1999.
15. Under the operation “Safed Sagar” the Indian Air Force user their power at a height of 32,000 feet to determine the Pakistani troops and Mujahideens and hit the right targets.
16. Then PM of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared the success of Operation Vijay on 14th July 1999. But it was officially declared completed on 26th July.
17. According to the sources, Indian Army lost nearly 500 brave soldiers while Pakistan claimed to have lost more than 3000 soldiers, mujahideen, and infiltrates.
18. In the memory of Kargil war heroes, Kargil War Memorial has been established in Drass that has the inscriptions of all the soldiers that we lost during the war. There is an inbuilt museum also that has Kargil Real Photos, documents, recordings and other items that mark the incomparable contribution made by the brave soldiers of India.
19. 1999 Kargil War is one of the most dangerous wars ever fought over the globe. The war on such rough terrains and natural habitat is always considered as most dangerous and Indian soldiers earned victory in such high-altitude warfare.
20. In the initial days, the infiltrators were considered to be Kashmiri militants, but according to the documents and information provided by the captured Pakistani soldiers, the infiltrators were Pakistani Paramilitary Forces which was led by Pakistani General Ashraf Rashid.
21. For showing the exemplary bravery on the battlefield, 4 Indian Soldiers were honored with Param Vir Chakra.
| Name | Rank | Unit | Award |
| Yogendra Singh Yadav | Grenadier | 18 Grenadiers | Param Vir Chakra |
| Manoj Kumar Pandey (Posthumous) | Lieutenant | 1/11 Gorkha Rifles | Param Vir Chakra |
| Vikram Batra (Posthumous) | Captain | 13 JAK Rifles | Param Vir Chakra |
| Sanjay Kumar | Rifleman | 13 JAK Rifles | Param Vir Chakra |
