The Kargil War

THE KARGIL WAR, 1999

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	Clear-cut evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the conflict, as a Jawan holds a 7.62mm round, with the inscription POF (Pakistan Ordnance Factory) embossed on the back.
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	Jawans guard their post against aggression from the Pakistan Army's Northern Light Infantry and her network of terrorists. The Jawan in the middle is armed with a 7.62mm medium machine gun, mounted on a bipod.
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	The Leh-Batalik road is as notorious as the Srinagar-Kargil road. At its beginning lie staging areas, at its end fierce fighting and often, death. Jawans patrol the rugged slopes near Batalik. For them, there is little time for rest and little time to think, always poised on the edge of action.
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	A jawan in full combat gear, peers over a ridgeline, searching for the enemy in the Batalik sector. He is carrying an automatic rifle from the AK-series. It could also be the Czechoslovakian-made 7.62mm V.58 rifle.
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	120mm mortars pound an Indian post, held by Pakistan Army troops and her homegrown terrorists. This particular post was later destroyed, and all occupants in it, with over 50 rounds of direct Bofors fire.
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	A temporarily-created air defence post, with a Jawan holding a 7.62mm medium machine gun, while another watches through his binoculars for Pakistani air intrusions.
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	Jawans being transported by truck to forward posts, from where they will begin their arduous & dangerous journey, up the mountains to face the enemy.
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	Jawans in the Drass sector, armed with 7.62mm rifles, climb up precipitous roads to reach the forward outposts which are being held by the enemy.
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	Jawans in the Batalik sector, armed with 7.62mm assault rifles, climb a mountain feature to reach a forward outpost. Note the jagged edges of the mountain, which can prove to be fatal, if a single step is missed.
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	Jawans walk up arduous roads to posts near the Line of Control (LoC) at Kaksar. A climb to the frontline takes anywhere between 8 to 12 hours from the supply base.
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	Jawans, armed with 5.56mm INSAS rifles, get their last minute orders at their base camp, before climbing up treacherous mountains to face the enemy.
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	Jawans in the Mukshoh Valley take aim at troops and terrorists, both trained and armed by the Pakistan Army, sitting atop high mountain peaks. The Jawans are using the indigenous 5.56mm INSAS assault rifle.
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	Jawans manning a 23mm ZSU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, keep a watchful lookout for enemy aircraft which might attack Indian Army convoys, passing through the Drass sector.
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	Sepoy Vikram Singh, only 18 years old, but ready to face the enemy in Kargil. What he lacks in experience, he makes up for it with enthusiasm.
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	Jawans, carrying light machine guns, keep a sharp look-out at a forward observation post for the enemy attempting to cross the LoC in Kargil.
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	Jawans from Ladakh Scouts take a breather and readily pose at an Army staging depot on the Leh-Batalik Road, just hours before going into battle for a vital peak.
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	Jawans, getting ready with their weapons & gear for the long trek up the mountains. Carrying 70+ lbs., maybe more, coupled with the rarefied oxygen at these heights is no easy task.
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	A Jawan from the 17 Jat, holding a 7.62mm medium machine gun on a bipod, keeps an observant watch for the enemy from his post in the Kargil sector.
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	A Jawan with the 84mm Carl Gustav RCL close-support infantry weapon. These Swedish-origin weapons were used to take out heavily fortified bunkers or posts.
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	Jawans from the 2nd Rajputana Rifles pray before going into battle, to get back Tololing Top, held by the enemy.
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