Kargil War or Kargil conflict happened between May and July 1999 within the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. The war signifies an armed conflict between India and Pakistan. What was Kargil War 1999 was all about? What were the military and diplomatic challenges? Why the war took place? What is the history behind the Kargil War? Let us have a look!
Kargil War 1999: Conflict
The Kargil War took place in 1999 between 8 May, when Pakistani forces and Kashmiri militants were detected at top of the Kargil ridges. It is believed that Pakistan was planning for the operation by early as the autumn of 1998.
There were three major phases in the Kargil War: First, in the Indian-controlled section of Kashmir, Pakistan captured various strategic high points. Second, India responded by first capturing strategic transportation routes and third military pushing Pakistani forces back across the Line of Control.
Indian Forces were prepared by 30 June, 1999 for a major high-altitude offensive against Pakistani posts along the border in the disputed Kashmir region. Over the period of the previous six weeks, India had moved 5 infantry divisions, 5 independent brigades, and 44 battalions of paramilitary troops in Kashmir. Around 730,000 total Indian troop strength had reached in the region. Also, the build-up included the deployment of around 60 frontline aircraft.
Occupation by Pakistan
After February Lahore Summit 1999 that took place between Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Pakistani effort to take Kargil occurred. It was believed that this conference has de-escalated the tensions that had existed since May 1998. The main objective behind the operation was to help in internationalising the issue of Kashmir and for which global attention had been flagging for some time. It is said that the plan of intrusion was the brainchild of Pakistani's Chief of Army Staff Gen Pervez Musharraf and Lt. Gen Mohammed Aziz, the Chief of General Staff. Only an 'in principle' concurrence they obtained, without any specifics, from Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistani Prime Minister.
The main objective of the Pakistani military for carrying out the intrusions was to rely on the exploitation of the large gaps that exist in the defences in the sector both on the Indian and Pakistani sides of the Line of Control (LoC).
Let us tell you that the terrain over there was extremely rugged with very few tracks leading from the main roads towards the LoC. And during, winter the area covered with snow due to heavy snowfall which makes movement almost impossible. The only mountain pass that was connecting the Kargil area to the Kashmir Valley, Zoji La, basically opens by the end of May or beginning of June. Therefore, moving reinforcements by surface via Srinagar would not have been possible till then. One more thing is that Pakistan Army calculated that even if the intrusions were discovered by the Indian's in early May, as they were, the action of the Indian Army would be slow and limited which provides more time and allow then to consolidate the intrusions more effectively.
Therefore, in early May only Zoji La was opened for the induction of troops. If the action of intruding were effective then it would allow Pakistani troops to secure some dominating heights from where the Srinagar-Leh National Highway 1A might be prohibited at a variety of places. And the intrusions would draw in and tie down the Indian Army reserves. Also, the intrusions have provided Pakistan control over substantial tracts of strategic acreage across the LoC, thereby allowing Islamabad to negotiate from strength position. And they decisively alter the status of the LoC.
Apart from keeping the plan top secret, the Pakistan Army also undertook certain steps to take care of a component of surprise and maximise deception. No new administrative bases for the intrusions were to be created, instead, they were to be catered for from those already within the existing defences. Along the ridgelines, there were the logistic lines of communication and therefore the nullahs were far away from the tracks, positions of the Indian Army troops were already in position.
After the finalisation, the plan was put into action towards the end of April. The main groups were broken into a number of smaller subgroups of 30 to 40 each for carrying out multiple intrusions along the ridgelines and occupy dominating heights.
The Pakistani army was hoping and trying to gain the upper hand in Kashmir and plunging the Indian subcontinent in brief and limited war and raising the specter of nuclear war.
Indian Army detected intruders
Intruders are detected by Indian Army Patrols atop Kargil ridges during the period 8-15 May, 1999. The infiltration pattern clearly entrenched the participation of trained Mujahideen and Pakistani Army regulars in these operations in areas east of Batalik and north of Dras.
In general areas of Kargil and Dras, Pakistan resorted to artillery firing from across the border. Some operations were launched by the Indian army which succeeded in cutting off the infiltrators in Drass sector. Also, the infiltrators were pushed back in Batalik sector.
On the heights, the intruders were both professional soldiers and mercenaries including the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 12th battalions of the Pakistan Army's Northern Light Infantry (NLI). Among them, there were the members of Pakistan's Special Services Group (SSG) and several Mujaheddin. Initially, it was estimated that there were about 500 to 1000 intruders were there occupying the heights but later it was estimated that the actual strength may have been around 5000. The intrusion area extended in an area of 160 Km. In fact, the Army of Pakistan had set up a complex logistical network so that the intruders across the LoC would be well supplied from the bases in POK. Intruders were well armed with AK 47 and 56 mortars, artillery, anti-aircraft guns, and Stinger missiles.
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