The nation observes the 20th anniversary of Kargil War today. It has been 20 years since the Indian Army, with the help of the Indian Air Force (IAF), wrested back the glaciated heights of Kargil, in the Ladakh sector, from the Pakistan army. The Kargil War, which lasted a little over two months, ended 26 July 1999, and led to 527 deaths on the Indian side.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today shared pictures of his visit to the area during the conflict and his interaction with the soldiers. ‘During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers,’ he said on Twitter. The Prime Minister said in 1999, he was working for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
On this day, the nation salutes those soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. Pakistan had initially denied it had any role in the conflict and said India was facing off with Kashmiri freedom fighters. However, it awarded its soldiers medals for the conflict later. Let’s resolve to cherish the Indian Army that fought against all odds and brought glory to the nation on this day, two decades ago.