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Kargil War
Kargil.map.gif
Location of the conflict
Date 3 May – 26 July 1999
(2 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Result

Indian victory

  • India regains possession of Kargil
Territorial
changes
No territorial changes
Belligerents
India India Pakistan Pakistan
Commanders and leaders
India K. R. Narayanan
(President of India)
India Atal Bihari Vajpayee
(Prime Minister of India)
Gen. Ved Prakash Malik
(Chief of the Army Staff)
Lt. Gen. Chandra Shekhar
(Vice Chief of the Army Staff)
ACM Anil Yashwant Tipnis
(Chief of the Air Staff)
M. R. Tarar
(President of Pakistan)
Nawaz Sharif
(Prime Minister of Pakistan)
Gen. Pervez Musharraf
(Chief of the Army Staff)
Lt. Gen. Muhammad Aziz Khan
(Chief of the General Staff)
Strength
30,000 5,000
Casualties and losses

Indian official figures

  • 527 killed
  • 1,363 wounded
  • 1 POW
  • 1 fighter jet shot down
  • 1 fighter jet crashed
  • 1 helicopter shot down

Pakistani claims

  • 1,600 (as claimed by Musharraf)

Independent figures

  • 400—4000 killed
  • 700 killed (U.S. Department of State estimate)

Pakistani figures

  • 2,700—4,000 killed (according to Nawaz Sharif)
  • 453 killed (Pakistan army's claim)
  • 3,000 killed (PML-N White Paper)
  • 357 killed and 665+ wounded (according to Pervez Musharraf)
  • 8 POWs

Indian claims

  • 737+—1,200 killed (at least 249 dead bodies recovered in Indian territory)
  • 1000+ wounded

The Kargil War, also called the Kargil conflict, was a fight between India and Pakistan. It happened from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir. This area is along the Line of Control (LoC). In India, this conflict is known as Operation Vijay, which means "Victory". This was the name for the Indian military plan to clear the Kargil area.

The Indian Air Force also helped the Indian Army during the war. Their goal was to remove Pakistani soldiers and other fighters from Indian positions. These positions were along the Line of Control. This air operation was called Operation Safed Sagar, meaning "White Sea".

What Caused the Kargil War?

The war started because Pakistani troops secretly crossed into Indian territory. They were disguised as local fighters from Kashmir. They took over high mountain positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control. This line acts as the unofficial border between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.

At first, Pakistan said the fighting was only by Kashmiri rebels. But later, documents found on fallen soldiers showed that Pakistani military forces were involved. Pakistan's Prime Minister and Army Chief also confirmed this. The Indian Army, with help from the Indian Air Force, took back most of these positions. Other countries then put pressure on Pakistan. Because of this, Pakistani forces had to leave the remaining Indian areas.

Fighting in the Mountains

The Kargil War is a recent example of fighting in very high mountains. This kind of war is called mountain warfare. It created big challenges for both sides to move supplies and soldiers. This war is also special because it was a direct fight between two countries that have nuclear weapons.

India had tested its first nuclear weapon in 1974. Pakistan had been secretly working on its own nuclear weapons. They tested theirs in 1998, just two weeks after India did a second series of tests.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Guerra de Kargil para niños

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