India Observes 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas Commemorating 1999 War

India observed the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26, 2026, to commemorate the victory of Operation Vijay during the 1999 Kargil War. The military campaign aimed to remove infiltrators who had crossed the Line of Control to occupy Indian ridges and threaten National Highway 1A.

Veterans of the Indian Army shared accounts of the high-altitude combat. Retired Subedar Amreek Singh of the 8 Sikh Regiment described the mission to capture Tiger Hill in the Drass sector on July 5, 1999, detailing fierce close-quarters fighting and tactical maneuvers to sever enemy supply lines. Retired Havaldar Kamal Deen of the 18 Jak Rifles Regiment recounted an encounter with infiltrators who attempted to flee along a canal while disguised in civilian clothes.

Both soldiers detailed sustaining gunshot wounds and enduring significant hardships during the conflict. Their accounts highlight the casualties suffered to restore Indian control over the strategic heights and secure the region from foreign intruders.