16th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas Sunday July 26,2015

 

July 26 marks the 16th anniversary of eviction of Pakistani soldiers who occupied the icy peaks across the Line of Control in Kashmir in the summer of 1999. 

The conflict claimed the lives of over 500 Indian soldiers. 

To commemorate the victory and honour the martyrs, Army is holding a series of events in the national capital as well in Drass sector of Jammu and Kashmir. 

 

The conflict was also the first between India and Pakistan after both countries had tested nuclear weapons. 

The main event to mark the anniversary is to be held at the Kargil War Memorial in Drass on July 25 and 26 and an exhibition was inaugurated at Select Citywalk mall in Saket, Delhi.

On Vijay Divas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday July 26,2015 paid tributes to the Indian armed forces, and hailed their valour and sacrifices which was demonstrated in the Kargil conflict in 1999 

“I salute the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the beloved nation,” he tweeted.

On the 16th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force pay homage to the martyrs of the war at India Gate in New Delhi

Family members of Kargil war martyrs at a function to commemorate the 16th anniversary of Vijay Diwas at Drass on Saturday July 25,2015

Note

The Kargil war, which began in May 1999, lasted for more than two months before Pakistani soldiers, a bulk of them drawn from its Northern Light Infantry, and irregulars withdrew

from the mountain tops they had occupied overlooking the Srinagar-Leh highway.

In the conflict, the Indian Army lost 490 officers, soldiers and jawans.