Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (July 26) opened his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio address by commemorating Kargil Vijay Diwas, which marked the successful conclusion of the 1999 Kargil war.“This day fills us with pride. This day reminds us of the extraordinary courage of our brave soldiers. Towering peaks of Kargil, harsh weather, the challenge posed by the enemy, our soldiers faced every such circumstance, yet their spirit was greater than every challenge,” Modi said.He also mentioned the “Shaurya Vijay Yatra”, a special motorcycle rally that began on July 14 from New Delhi’s National War Memorial and is slated to reach the Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Jammu and Kashmir. “Its message is ‘One Ride, One Nation, One Salute’. This journey reminds us that the sacrifice made for the nation can never be forgotten,” he said.Here’s how the conflict broke out and how Indian forces fought against the odds to achieve a decisive victory to conquer the strategic heights.The Kargil War officially ended on July 26, 1999, with the eviction of the last remaining Pakistani troops and infiltrators from positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC).The conflict was triggered when infiltrators from Pakistan crossed the LoC and occupied high positions in Ladakh’s Kargil district. First reported to the Indian Army on May 3, the infiltrators were initially thought to be jihadis. But over the next few weeks, as the sheer scale of the invasion came to light, the role of the Pakistani state became undeniable.Story continues below this adBetween mid-May and July, the Indian forces slowly recaptured critical positions from the Pakistanis, in the face of heavy casualties. On July 26, the Army announced the complete withdrawal of all Pakistani regular and irregular troops from Kargil. As per official figures, Indian casualties at the end of the War stood at 527 dead, 1,363 wounded, and 1 prisoner of war (Fl Lt K Nachiketa, whose MiG-27 was shot down during a strike operation).Beyond the enemy infiltrators, who were well-armed and supported by non-stop shelling from the Pakistani side, the conditions of Kargil were a challenge in and of themselves. As M P Acosta, a US Army officer, wrote in his dissertation, “High Altitude Warfare: The Kargil Conflict and the Future” (2003): “The high altitude environment determined the nature of the conflict and shaped the conduct of the campaign.”Trial by altitudeKargil is located at the northern edge of the LoC, some 200 km northeast of Srinagar and 230 km west of Leh. Kargil town lies at an altitude of 2,676 m (8,780 ft), Dras lies at a height of 3,300 m (10,800 ft), and the surrounding peaks rise to altitudes of 4,800 m (16,000 ft) to 5,500 m (18,000 ft).These extreme heights cause severe physiological effects on one’s body — and equipment. “The combination of thin air, cold weather and rugged mountains has dramatic effects on men and their equipment,” Acosta wrote.Story continues below this ad Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lays a wreath at the Kargil War Memorial on the occasion of 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas, in Dras on July 26, 2026. Photo: PIB/ANIChallenge number one was the crippling cold. The battlefield in Kargil lay in a cold desert where winter temperatures dropped to as low as -30℃. While the summers were more pleasant, frigid winds and the barren landscape still made the battlefield inhospitable. The cold impacted both the men and the machines – guns jammed while their operators expended great amounts of energy to keep the body warm.Problem number two was the thin air, and reduced oxygen levels. This led to a wide range of physiological effects among soldiers including acute mountain sickness (AMS), which can cause headaches, nausea, appetite loss, muscular weakness, and general fatigue. In addition to sapping the strength of the soldiers, low air pressure impacted the performance of both weapons and aircraft. While it increased the range of the projectiles fired, accuracy and predictability suffered. Aircraft engines produced less power, and helicopters lost rotor efficiency.Also Read | Shershaah: Why the story of Captain Vikram Batra has enduring appealLastly, the terrain imposed significant restrictions on soldiers. It reduced mobility, provided cover to the enemy, and limited the scope of operations. During the Kargil War, the Indian Army was at a particular disadvantage with the enemy occupying high positions overlooking the positions held by Indians.Victory against all oddsStory continues below this ad“Faced with a foe atop dominating heights [an army] may have no choice but to take the hill,” Acosta wrote. That is what the Indian forces did. Against relentless enemy fire and unforgiving conditions, the Indian Army freed Kargil’s peaks of Pakistani intruders.The initial stages of the War had taught some valuable lessons, as both the Army and the Air Force discovered that they were unprepared for such high-altitude combat at this scale. Many soldiers suffered from AMS, which caused a few casualties. The lack of equipment for fighting in such cold weather was another challenge. On the other hand, the terrain and Pakistan’s constant shelling on the crucial National Highway 1A caused major logistical challenges.NewsletterFollow our daily newsletter so you never miss anything important. On Wednesday, we answer readers' questions.SubscribeEventually, the Army modified its methods to overcome these challenges. Units initiated acclimatisation and training programs to better prepare the soldiers for the conditions. Better cold-weather equipment was procured (although the Army remained lacking in this regard throughout the War). Techniques for high-altitude assault were further honed. Instead of daytime frontal attacks, assaults increasingly featured small groups scaling near-vertical terrain.“Most importantly, the Army coordinated overwhelming firepower with daring manoeuvres. Massive artillery fire preceded all attacks,” Acosta wrote. With limitations of providing air cover to the ground forces due to the altitude and the terrain, the Army eventually leaned heavily on artillery, especially the controversial Bofors gun whose range nearly doubled in the thin air of Kargil.Story continues below this adIndia’s hard-fought victory in the Kargil War illustrated the timeless challenges posed by combat at high altitude – challenges which are as deadly, if not more, than the enemy itself.