On 17th 'Kargil Vijay Diwas', nation pays tribute to brave Indian soldiers

New Delhi: Nation on Tuesday paid tribute to its brave Indian soldiers who laid their lives during the two-month long war on the icy heights of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir, bordering the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1999.

On 17th Kargil Vijay Diwas, PM Narendra Modi hailed the supreme sacrifices made by the Indian soldiers and paid his tribute to the war heroes through a series of tweets this morning.

I bow to every valiant soldier who fought for India till very last breath. Their heroic sacrifices inspire us, PM Modi said in a tweet.

India will never forget the fearlessness with which our courageous soldiers gave a befitting & unforgettable reply to the intruders. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2016

We recall with pride, the firmness demonstrated by India’s political leadership in 1999, which ensured a decisive victory in Kargil.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2016

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army Chief Dalbir Singh Suhag, Air Chief Marshal also paid  homage to the Kargil War martyrs in the national capital.

In the Drass sector in Jammu and Kashmir, the families of Kargil War heroes paid tribute to the fallen war heroes on the occasion of 17th Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Father of Captain Vikram Batra, who lost his life in Kargil War, said his son was a legendary soldier.

We are very proud of him, he added.

Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorates the victory in the 1999 war with Pakistan that began on 3 May and was brought to its conclusion on 26 July.

From a strategic standpoint, Kargil is noted as being one of the most recent instances of high-altitude warfare in mountainous terrain — something that usually provides a major challenge to both sides.

The Kargil was was also one of the very few instances of direct, conventional warfare between nuclear states.