PM, Home Minister pay tribute to armed forces on Kargil Vijay Diwas

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid his tribute to the soldiers of the Indian armed forces who died during the Kargil War more than two decades ago when India defeated Pakistan to recapture all posts occupied by the neighbouring country.

The country is observing the 21st anniversary of the successful ‘Operation Vijay’ this year, which marks the victory of the Indian armed forces over Pakistan in the mountains of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir on July 26, 1999.

“On Kargil Vijay Diwas, we remember the courage and determination of our armed forces, who steadfastly protected our nation in 1999. Their valour continues to inspire generations,” PM Modi tweeted.

“Will speak more about this during today’s #MannKiBaat, which begins shortly,” he added with hashtag CourageInKargil.

India launched Operation Vijay to clear the posts in the high-altitude Kargil sector, which was occupied by the Pakistani soldiers and infiltrators on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).

The armies of the nuclear-armed nations fought the war between May and July in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir and elsewhere along the LoC. It took about three months for the Indian forces to recapture the posts and led to 527 deaths on India’s side.

Last year, PM Modi had posted a 1-minute-24-second video along with his tweets with scenes from the Kargil War Memorial in Dras town in Jammu and Kashmir in the foothills of the Tololing Hill, photographs of soldiers, who fought the war with the Tricolour, and his speeches to mark the day.

Modi also posted four photographs of his meeting with the Indian Army soldiers, one of them in a hospital, in Kargil along with the tweet.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh and home minister Amit Shah were among several leaders who also paid their tributes to fallen soldiers on Kargil Vijay Diwas.