Kargil Vijay Diwas 2023: The Complete Timeline of the Kargil War

On 26th July 2023, India is observing the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas. It has been twenty-four years since the major Indo-Pak war ended. The Kargil War was a prominent military conflict between India and Pakistan, lasting for two months. The war began on May 3, in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir, India, and ended on July 26, 1999. The conflict began when Pakistani troops and militants infiltrated into Indian-administered territory and occupied several strategic heights along the Line of Control (LoC). 

#KargilVijayDiwas 2023

On the occasion of 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas, Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar #VCOAS, Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh #VCNS, Air Marshal AP Singh #VCAS & Lt Gen JP Mathew #CISC laid wreaths at the National War Memorial #NWM and paid homage to the #Bravehearts of… pic.twitter.com/JfCJ2zK3We

— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) July 26, 2023

#KargilVijayDiwas
BSF salutes Brave Heroes of Kargil for their Valour & Sacrifice.
As an ever vigilant BSF Unit stood manning its posts in Chhenigund Area, Shri S S Yadav, Deputy Commandant made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Force during the Kargil War.… pic.twitter.com/RHKTkjbv7W

— BSF (@BSF_India) July 26, 2023

#WATCH | Ladakh | Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan lays a wreath at Kargil War Memorial in Drass and pays tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.#KargilVijayDiwas pic.twitter.com/Pk92rpMH0Y

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2023

Also Read - Kargil Vijay Diwas 2023: Posters Drawing, Slogans, Essay, Speeches & More

Kargil War Timeline

Here is the complete timeline of the Kargil War:

May 3, 1999

Source: Wikipedia

• Local shepherds in Kargil alert the Indian Army about Pakistani troops and militants in the region.

May 5, 1999

• Indian Army jawans are sent to patrol the area. Five officers are captured by the Pakistani Army and are subsequently killed. 

May 5, 1999

• Pakistan Army destroys Indian Army’s ammunition dumps in Kargil. 

May 10 - May 25, 1999

• The detection of further infiltrations prompts the strategic deployment of additional forces to Kargil.
• Indian Army responds to the escalating situation in Kargil by mobilizing its troops from Kashmir to reinforce the region. 
• Indian Army launches 'Operation Vijay' to recapture the heights that have been occupied by Pakistani troops.

May 26, 1999

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) launches ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ and begins airstrikes on Pakistani positions.

May 27 - May 28, 1999

Source: Tribune India

• Three IAF aircrafts, MiG-21, MiG-27, and Mi-17 are shot down by Pakistani forces. 

May 31, 1999

• India’s then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee announces a “war-like situation” with Pakistan.

June 1, 1999

• Pakistan begins shelling on National Highway-1 in Kashmir and Ladakh.

June 5, 1999

• India releases documents recovered from three Pakistani soldiers that officially confirm Pakistan's direct involvement in the conflict.  

June 9, 1999

Source: Indiandefencereview

• Indian Army captures two significant positions in the Batalik Sector. 

June 10, 2023

• Pakistan returns six mutilated bodies of Indian troops from the Jat Regiment.

June 11, 1999

• India releases another piece of evidence of Pakistani Army’s involvement in the infiltration, which is an intercepted conversation between COAS General Pervez Musharraf and CGS Lt. General Aziz Khan.

June 13, 1999

Source: Rediff

• Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee visits Kargil and addresses the troops.
• Indian Army recaptures the Tololing Heights.
• Pakistani troops and the militia launch a counter-offensive but are repulsed by the Indian Army.

June 15, 1999

• The then U.S. President Bill Clinton forces the then Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, to urgently withdraw all Pakistani troops and irregular forces from Kargil. 

June 29, 1999

• Pakistan’s forces retreat from Indian-administered Kashmir under pressure from Pakistan’s federal government.

July 4, 1999

• Indian Army recaptures Tiger Hill.
• Pakistani troops withdraw from the Batalik Sector.

July 5, 1999

Source: Telegraph India

• After meeting with President Bill Clinton, Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif officially announces the withdrawal of Pakistani forces from Kargil. 
• Indian forces swiftly take control of Dras

July 12, 1999

• Pakistani troops complete their withdrawal from Kargil. Nawaz Sharif proposes talks with India.

July 14, 1999

• PM Bajpayee declares ‘Operation Vijay’ a success and sets terms for talks with Pakistan.

July 26, 1999

Source: DD News

• Kargil War is officially declared over. 
• Indian forces emerge victorious.

India's victory in this war was not without sacrifices. More than five hundred courageous soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice in their unwavering dedication to protect the nation and uphold its integrity. These brave individuals prioritized their country and its values above their own lives, and it was their selflessness that ultimately led us to victory. The Kargil Vijay Diwas is a day to remember and salute the ultimate sacrifices made by our brave soldiers. Jai Hind!