Kargil War

The Kargil War, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan between April and June 1999 in Kashmir. The cause of the war was infiltration of Pakistani soliders into positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control, which serves as the de facto border between the two nations. Pakistan blamed the fighting on independent Kashmiri insurgents; however, documents left behind by casualities and later statements by the Prime Minister and Army Chief {{ref|Pak}} showed involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces. The Indian Army, supported by the air force, attacked the Pakistani positions and eventually forced a withdrawal across the Line of Control.

Related Topics:
India - Pakistan - 1999 - Kashmir - Line of Control - De facto - Indian Army

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The result of this conflict led to heightened tensions between the two nations and increased defense spending on the part of India. It might also have resulted in the coup d'etat by Pervez Musharraf in October 1999. The war was fought at high altitude, in mountainous terrain, and posed significant logistics problems for the attacking sides. For nearly three months, the Kargil conflict threatened Southern Asia with the prospect of the first nuclear deployment against humans since Hiroshima in World War II, and the first mutual nuclear exchange in history.

Related Topics:
Coup d'etat - Pervez Musharraf - Southern Asia - Hiroshima - World War II

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