NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the valiant sons of the country who achieve the height of valour in the defence of the motherland.  On July 26, 1999, the Indian Army declared victory over "Operation Vijay," a nearly three-month-long fight on the ice heights of Kargil in Ladakh.

To commemorate India's triumph over Pakistan in the war, the day is known as 'Kargil Vijay Diwas.'
While paying tribute to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Kargil war, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said, "Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of pride and glory of Maa Bharati. On this occasion, my salute to all the brave sons of the country who have accomplished their valour in the defence of the motherland. Jai Hind!", Modi said in a tweet.

President Droupadi Murmu also paid tributes to the martyrs and brave soldiers who fought in the 1999 Kargil War against Pakistan on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas. She wrote on Twitter: "Kargil Vijay Diwas is a symbol of extraordinary valour and determination of our armed forces. I respect all the brave soldiers who laid down their lives to protect Mother India. All the countrymen will always be indebted to them and their family members. Jai Hind!," 

As many as 527 soldiers from the Indian Armed Forces sacrificed their lives during the Sixty-day Kargil war. Kargil Vijay Diwas is commemorated on July 26 across the country to respect the Indian heroes who valiantly fought and sacrificed their lives to make 'Operation Vijay' a success.

Following the Indo-Pak War of 1971, in which India soundly defeated East Pakistan and established the sovereign nation of Bangladesh, tensions between India and Pakistan remained high, and while Pakistan never had the capability to match India in open warfare, it began to use covert methods to its advantage. While there were a number of events and escalations in the 1980s, they reached an all-time high in the 1990s as a result of Pakistan's terrorism in Kashmir, which the neighboring country frequently tried to pass off as a "homegrown insurgency," particularly to an international audience.

President Draupadi Murmu's first tweet, pays tribute to Kargil Vijay Diwas

PM Modi to meet Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif!

PM pays tributes to liberation fighters Tilak and Azad