Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Monday paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the 1999 Kargil War with Pakistan."General Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, paid homage to the martyrs of 'Operation Vijay' at the historic Kargil War Memorial at Drass in Kargil district (of Jammu and Kashmir) today (Monday)," a defence statement said."He was accompanied by Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda, Army Commander, Northern Command, and General Officer Commanding of the Fire and Fury Corps." The army chief also interacted with the 'Veer Naris (war widows), awardees and relatives of the martyred soldiers."Speaking on the occasion, the army chief paid glowing tributes to the supreme sacrifices and expressed his gratitude to the martyrs, their next of kin and the Veer Naris."
The 17th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations started with great fervour and enthusiasm under the aegis of the Fire and Fury Corps from July 21. The week-long celebrations included many events involving the local residents, especially the youths and children of Drass and Kargil regions. "The solemn memorial service is scheduled at the War Memorial on Monday evening and the celebrations will come to a close with a formal wreath-laying ceremony by the Army Commander, Northern Command," the statement added.Indian and Pakistani armies fought the Kargil War in May-July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). India launched 'Operation Vijay' to clear the Kargil sector of infiltration by Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants on the Indian side of the Line of Control.