2018-07-26 Thu

A bloody 60-day battle fought in the Himalayas came to an end today, 19 years ago. India gained a decisive victory against Pakistan. The war was fought along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.

The war began due to the infiltration of Pakistan's soldiers along with Kashmiri militants into the Indian side of the LoC. The Indian Army, with the help of the Indian Air Force, recaptured most of the positions on the Indian side. International diplomatic opposition pressured Pakistan to recall their troops.

While Pakistan looked to the US for assistance in curbing the conflict, Bill Clinton refused to intervene till Pakistan withdrew troops from Indian positions after studying the intelligence received. Nawaz Sharif agreed to pull back troops on July 04, 1999 and the Kargil War came to an end on July 26, 1999.

A number of regiments on the Indian side, including the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, participated in the war. Among them were 16 and 18 Grenadiers, 4 Jat, 3 Punjab, 10 and 18 Garhwal, the Border Security Force (BSF), Ladakh Scouts, and 9 and 5 Para Commandos.

While no commemorative stamps and coins have been issued to mark the Kargil War, numerous stamps were issued in honour of the regiments of the India Armed Forces over time.

1. The Indian Air Force

2. The Border Security Force

3. The Punjab Regiment

4. The Jat Regiment

5. The Sikh Regiment

6. The Mahar Regiment

7. The Artillery Regiment

8. The Kumaon Regiment

Mintage World salutes the brave heroes of the Kargil War.