Kargil Vijay Diwas | Read the 1999 press release on why the Tiger Hill victory by Indian forces was a turning point in the war

On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas on Friday, Republic Media Network has published this PIB (Press Information Bureau) statement by George Fernandes who was the Defence Minister during the Kargil war in which he describes that the re-capture of the Tiger Hill was a turning point of the 1999 war.

Issued on July 5, 1999, the statement is captioned 'Capture of Tiger Hill a Decisive Victory - Fernandes'. In the press release, the former Defence Minister states that Indian Army recovering the Tiger Hill from Pakistan has made the task of dislogding them from other posts as well. He termed the victory at the Tiger Hill a 'decisive one' and a 'turning point' in the Kargil operations. He also said that the strategic positioning of the Tiger Hill gave an advantage to the Indian Army to target Pakistani Forces from the stronghold and could help end the Kargil operations sooner.

He also reacted to the global impression of Pakistan as an 'aggressor' and to those in the neighbouring country calling for the use of nuclear weapons.

READ | Kargil Vijay Diwas: PM Narendra Modi Pays Tribute To Kargil War Heroes, Posts Pictures From His 'unforgettable' Interaction With Soldiers After The War 

Read the full statement here:

The Tiger Hill capture

The Indian armed forces displayed exceptional valour to successfully dislodged the enemy from the strategic hill in the Drass-Kargil area. The Mirage-2000 aircraft played a crucial role in the battles fought during the war and also hit enemy targets bunkered in at the Tiger Hill. During the war, the IAF had conducted operation Safed Sagar as a part of operation Vijay of the army.

Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations

The celebrations for Kargil Vijay Diwas began on July 14 in New Delhi with the illumination of a 'Victory Flame' from the National War Memorial in Delhi, which traversed through 11 towns and cities will finally culminate at Dras where it will be merged with the eternal flame at the 'Kargil War Memorial', he said. The objective of these celebrations is to evoke feeling of patriotism through nationwide campaigns especially amongst youth and to pay homage to the valiant soldiers