Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir), July 26: On the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Kargil War heroes recalled their experiences from the 1999 conflict, remembering the courage, sacrifices and challenges faced by Indian soldiers during Operation Vijay.
Retired Havaldar Kamal Deen of the 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment recalled a fierce encounter with infiltrators during the Kargil War.
"Three of our men were slightly injured, while we managed to kill two or three of theirs. The militants were trying to flee; the infiltrators were dressed in civilian clothes, wearing kurtas, and had discarded their guns, attempting to escape along a canal," he said.
He added that Indian troops chased down the infiltrators and eliminated them with support from the Air Force and other units.
"We killed ten or twelve of them right there," Kamal Deen told ANI.
Recalling the injuries he suffered during the operation, Kamal Deen said he was later airlifted to a base hospital.
"Immediately after, we were airlifted to the base hospital by helicopter. I have a fracture in my arm. I was hit by two bullets; I also took hits to my legs," he said.
Retired Subedar Amreek Singh of the 8 Sikh Regiment recalled the challenges faced by soldiers during the battle to capture Tiger Hill, one of the most significant operations of the Kargil War.
Singh said his unit was deployed in the Drass sector after reports of infiltration and was tasked with pushing back enemy forces occupying strategic positions.
"When we reached there, heavy artillery fire from the Pakistani side began raining down on us," he recalled.
Recalling the Tiger Hill operation, Singh said his battalion was assigned the task of approaching from the rear and cutting off enemy supply routes.
"On July 5, we received a task to clear Tiger Hill. A plan was devised, and the task was assigned to the 8 Sikh unit to approach from the rear and cut off the enemy's route," he said.
The soldiers moved out on the night of July 4 and positioned themselves behind Tiger Hill by the morning of July 5.
"Just as the first light of dawn broke, we spotted two enemy lines approaching. We cut their lines and accomplished our mission," Singh added.
Singh recalled the intense counter-attacks launched by enemy forces during the operation.
"The situation became intense; it was a fierce close-quarters battle. We kept fighting and advancing, delivering a crushing response," he said.
He said he sustained serious injuries during the battle, including two bullet wounds to his legs and a head injury.
"Eventually, men came from the rear, picked me up and carried me out. I reached the lower base the next day. I asked for food, as I was famished and parched. I can never forget the harrowing journey and the extreme hardships I witnessed there," Singh recalled.
Observed every year on July 26, Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of Indian soldiers who fought in the 1999 Kargil War.
The conflict began in May 1999 after infiltrators crossed the Line of Control and occupied strategic Indian posts on high-altitude ridges. Their objective was to threaten the vital National Highway 1A connecting Srinagar and Leh.
India launched Operation Vijay to reclaim the occupied positions. For more than two months, Indian forces fought under extremely difficult terrain and weather conditions, eventually pushing back the infiltrators and restoring control over the captured posts.
