MAJOR POINTS
- The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil Conflict, was a military conflict between India and Pakistan.
- The War took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LOC).
- The Kargil War is often known as “Operation Vijay” which was the name of the Indian operation to clear the Kargil sector.
- The Kargil War was the first war between India and Pakistan since the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the first time that the two countries had officially declared war against each other.
- Both India and Pakistan claimed the entire region of Kashmir, but the two countries had agreed to consider Line of Control (LOC) as the boundary between the two nations.
- According to the Simla Agreement of 1972,The Line of Control had been declared as an international boundary and served as a Line of Control between the two nations.
- The cause of the war was the trespass of Pakistani soldiers into positions on the Indian side of the LOC, which serves as the boundary between the two nations.
- India then launched a massive military operation, named ‘Operation Vijay’, to push the Pakistani forces out of the occupied areas.
- The war was fought in the remote and difficult region of Kargil and posed a major challenge to both sides.
- The conflict saw heavy fighting between the two sides with both nations utilizing air and ground forces.
- During the course of the war, India recaptured a majority of the positions on its side of the Line of Control that had been trespassed by the Pakistani forces and militants.
- The Indian army was able to successfully push out the Pakistani forces and re-establish its control over the region.
- The war lasted for nearly three months and resulted in the deaths of over 500 Indian soldiers and an estimated 4,000 Pakistani and Kashmiri militants.
- The war also caused significant damage to the Kargil region resulting in an estimated of $2 billion in losses for both India and Pakistan.
- The war ended with the withdrawal of Pakistani forces and militants from the Kargil sector following an international interference by the United States and other countries.
- The war was both a military victory and diplomatic victory for India.
- The war also became a major setback for Pakistan.
- The Kargil War was significant for several reasons:
- 1)It highlighted the fact that the Kashmir dispute had not been resolved and that it was capable of causing a major conflict between the two nations.
- 2)The war demonstrated the importance of maintaining a strong military presence in the region.
- 3)The war showed the international community about the importance of resolving disputes through peaceful means.
- The conflict also highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong relationship between India and Pakistan.
- The war also marked the beginning of a new era in the conflict between the two nations which has since been marked by increased tensions and unfriendliness.
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