Kargil Vijay Diwas 2023:
The President and the Prime Minister recently paid their tributes to the armed forces on Kargil Vijay Diwas, acknowledging their extraordinary valour and the victory achieved.
- Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated on July 26 every year.
- The day commemorates the victory of the Indian armed forces in the Kargil War fought against Pakistan.
- The day is observed to pay tribute and honour the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers in the war of 1999.
- The year 2023 marks the 24th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
- Kargil War was fought between India and Pakistan at the Line of Control (LoC)in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Kargil War was an unexpected intrusion by Pakistani forces into Indian territory.
- They occupied key vantage points in the Kargil region, leading to intense military engagements.
- The Indian Army fought bravely and recaptured the famous ‘Tiger Hill’ and other important posts around under ‘Operation Vijay’ by evicting the Pakistani troops in the 1999 Kargil War.
- It was fought at extreme altitudes, with some of the battlegrounds reaching heights of over 18,000 feet.
- It lasted for approximately three months.
- The Indian Army employed heavy artillery, air power as well as major infantry operations during the Kargil War.
- In a first, the Indian side used the Bofors FH-77B howitzers to shoot down enemy positions nested at top of the mountains.
- Israel provided their Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to India during the conflict.
- It was the first ever war to be broadcasted live on TV channels in India.
