Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday paid homage to the martyrs at the National War Memorial (NWM) on the occasion of 20thanniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Singh wrote a message in the visitors’ book on the occasion. “Homage to the brave soldiers of Kargil War who laid down their lives for the honour, prestige and pride of India. Their valour and sacrifice are a motivation for every Indian. On 20thanniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas, we take a pledge that the grateful nation will never forget the supreme sacrifice the soldiers made for the country’s honour,” wrote the Defence Minister in the book.
Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, Vice Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar and Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria also laid wreath at NWM to pay their respects to the courage, valour and sacrifice of the heroes of ‘Operation Vijay’.
The Indo-Pak Kargil War was fought in May-July 1999 in the toughest terrain along the Line of Control (LoC) from ZojiLa in the West to Turtok in the East. The conflict was engineered by Pakistan by infiltrating its troops, occupying vacated dominating heights, overlooking and threatening National Highway besides violating the territorial integrity of the nation.
The soldiers of the Indian Army, displaying utmost fortitude and resilience, fought legendary battles in Dras, Kaksar, Batalik and Turtok sectors at heights above 12,000 feet and evicted the Pakistani intruders. The Indian Air Force also contributed significantly and supported the Army operations.
