Wars: 1971 & Kargil
Defence GK · युद्ध: 1971 और कारगिल
📋Quick Overview
The 1971 war is India's greatest military victory — it led to the creation of Bangladesh and the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers, the largest military surrender since World War II. The Kargil War of 1999 was a limited but intense conflict where India recaptured all occupied peaks. India has also conducted successful military operations in Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Siachen.
December 16, 1971 — Vijay Diwas: Pakistan's Lt. Gen. A.A.K. Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender to India's Lt. Gen. Jagjit Singh Aurora in Dhaka.
📖Indo-Pak War 1971 — Bangladesh Liberation
| Event / Operation | Details |
|---|---|
| Background | Pakistan's military crackdown on East Pakistan (Operation Searchlight, Mar 25, 1971); 10 million refugees fled to India |
| War starts | Pakistan bombed Indian air bases on Dec 3, 1971 (Operation Chengiz Khan) — India formally entered war |
| Operation Trident | Dec 4-5, 1971: INS Nipat, INS Nirghat, INS Veer used Styx anti-ship missiles to attack Karachi port — first use of anti-ship missile in Asia |
| Battle of Longewala | Dec 4-5: Only 120 BSOF/Indian soldiers repelled 2,000+ Pakistani troops and 65 tanks with IAF support |
| Surrender | Dec 16, 1971: 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered — largest since WWII; Bangladesh born |
| Shimla Agreement | July 2, 1972: PM Indira Gandhi + PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; LoC named, bilateral resolution of disputes |
📖Kargil War 1999
Pakistani soldiers and militants secretly occupied Indian positions in the Kargil district of J&K during winter 1998-99. India launched Operation Vijay (Army) and Operation Safed Sagar (IAF) to recapture all occupied peaks. The war lasted from May to July 1999. India recaptured all posts by July 26, 1999 — now observed as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
| Key Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Operation Vijay | Indian Army operation to recapture Kargil peaks |
| Operation Safed Sagar | IAF operation — Mirage 2000 used laser-guided bombs for first time in Indian combat |
| Tiger Hill (5062) | Recaptured on July 4, 1999 by 18 Grenadiers — most celebrated victory |
| Capt. Vikram Batra, PVC | "Yeh dil maange more" — killed recapturing Point 4875 on July 7, 1999 (posthumous PVC) |
| Grenadier Yogendra Singh Yadav, PVC | Point 4875 assault — youngest PVC recipient (at 19 years), survived |
| Bofors Guns | Played critical role in artillery support across mountain terrain in Kargil |
| Kargil Vijay Diwas | July 26 — celebrated every year since 1999 |
📖Other Major Military Operations
| Operation | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Op Meghdoot | 1984 | India captured Siachen Glacier (highest battlefield at 6,000m+); Pakistan pre-empted |
| Op Pawan | 1987-90 | IPKF (Indian Peace Keeping Force) in Sri Lanka to disarm LTTE |
| Op Cactus | 1988 | India rescued Maldives President Gayoom from mercenary coup attempt; 1600 km in 6 hours |
| Surgical Strike | Sep 29, 2016 | Indian Army Para SF crossed LoC to destroy terrorist launch pads in PoK |
| Balakot Airstrike | Feb 26, 2019 | IAF Mirage 2000 struck Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, Pakistan |