Kargil Vijay Diwas 2020: Indian Army Pays Tribute to Martyred, Remembers 21 years of Victory, Valour

Every year, July 26 is observed as Kargil Vijay Diwas, the day when Indian Army declared successful culmination of 'Operation Vijay', and establishing India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil conflict in 1999.

The Indian army on Sunday remembered the Kargil War heroes who gave their lives for the country and the recapturing of the Zulu Top in Muskoh Valley after a courageous attack.

Operation Vijay is a saga of courage, valour and sacrifice of brave soldiers of the Indian Army. 26 July will be remembered for the determination and daring leadership and raw courage of our soldiers." the army wrote on Twitter.

In another post,the Indian Army reminded the country about the daring attack at Zulu top which ultimately lead to the sucess of 'Operation Vijay' on June 25, 1999.

"The Indian Army launched a daring attack at Zulu Top in Muskoh Valley. Undaunted courage and unflinching determination of our troops led to successful capture of the objective," the army posted on Twitter.

The Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations will be muted this year due to raging Covid-19 pandemic in the country, and only the wreath-laying ceremonies will take place at war memorials in Kargil’s Drass and the national capital.

India and Pakistan had a relatively long period of stability following the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, with relatively few armed conflicts involving military forces between the two neighbouring nations. However, escalating separatist activities in Kashmir during the 1990s, along with both nations trying to conduct nuclear tests led to an increasingly tense atmosphere.

In an attempt to defuse the situation, both countries signed the Lahore Declaration in February 1999, promising to provide a peaceful and bilateral solution to the Kashmir conflict.

However, during the winter of 1998–1999, Pakistani soldiers, disguised as Kashmiri militants infiltrated into positions on the Indian side of the LOC. The war that ensued saw India trying to regain control of all the previously held territory and came to be known as the Kargil War of 1999. The war ended on July 26, when India regained control of all the previously held territory, hence re-establishing the state existing before the war.