MLA Himanshu paid tributes to the valour of Indian soldiers on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Kargil Vijay.

JAJPUR;26/07(PPT): Dharmasala MLA Himanshu sekhar Sahoo paid tributes to the valour of Indian soldiers on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. On the 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, the legacy of valour and sacrifice is not only a tale of the past but vibrantly alive, reinforced by recent events such as Operation Sindoor. India has come a long way in the past 26 years. The Battle of Kargil in 1999 was unlike any conflict India had fought before. Pakistani troops and militants, exploiting the treacherous terrain and frigid altitudes, infiltrated key positions in the Dras sector of Kargil. The Indian Army launched Operation Vijay, a daring campaign, in one of the world’s most unforgiving battlefields. Peaks like Tololing, Tiger Hill, Gun Hill, and Batra Top became household names. The Battle of Kargil came at a steep human cost. More than 500 Indian soldiers were martyred, and over 1,300 were injured. The nation still reverberates with the stories of sacrifices made by officers and jawans, such as Captain Vikram Batra and Lieutenant Manoj Pandey. Pakistani casualties remain disputed, but estimates suggest they lost several hundred soldiers and did not officially accept many casualties. Despite limited technological support and under extreme conditions, Indian soldiers kept fighting the war that lasted over two months. It culminated in a decisive victory on July 26, 1999, now commemorated as Kargil Vijay Diwas. This year, the significance of Kargil Vijay Diwas deepens in light of Operation Sindoor. Launched in the wake of a devastating terror attack, Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces unleash a precise, multi-domain offensive against terror infrastructure, not only in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir but also deep inside Pakistan itself. Pakistan attempted to strike military and civilian infrastructure along the northern and western borders but failed miserably and requested a ceasefire. In Dras, drones were sighted, prompting additional air defence deployments. In fact, short-range artillery guns engaged most of these drones.