Kargil War

The Kargil conflict was a limited war fought in the high mountains of Ladakh, along the Line of Control that divides Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants crossed the line during the winter and occupied heights overlooking the strategic highway between Srinagar and Leh, which India discovered in early May. India answered with a large ground and air campaign, known as Operation Vijay, to retake the positions in extreme terrain and at great altitude. Strong international pressure, notably from the United States, persuaded Pakistan to withdraw its forces. It was the first major clash between the two countries since both had tested nuclear weapons, and it contributed to the political crisis in Pakistan that ended with the army takeover of October 1999.

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