HEROES OF TIGER HILL
Pawan Bali / CNN-IBN
Published on Sat, Jul 04
Samba, Jammu: It's been 10 years since Kargil war. July 4, 1999 was when a vital victory for India was sealed. CNN-IBN met the heroes of Tiger Hill who get together once again after a decade to remember the comrades they lost.
After a decade Commanding Officer Kushal Kumar reunited with his brave men of the 18 Grenadiers who fought the crucial battle of Tiger Hill during the Kargil war. They re-captured the 16,800 feet high peak, strategically occupied by Pakistani intruders to dominate the Leh Srinagar National Highway.
"Tiger hill was the turning point of Kargil war. In fact, it was mother of all battles. The weather was bad, it was raining and there were all sort of problems," said Brigadier Kumar.
On the night of July 3 and July 4, the Indian Army launched a three pronged attack on the peak. With 132 guns providing support fire, Param Veer Chakra awardee Yogender Singh Yadav - who then barely 19 - was the first to lead six men of the Ghatak Platoon to the top.
He fought about 70 Pakistani troops for over eight hours. Didn't giving up even after receiving 15 gun shot wounds and losing all his men.
"I knew I would not die without giving them a fight. I wanted to fight till the end," said Yadav.
The Tiger Hill battle alone claimed over 30 Indian soldiers. It won over 23 Gallantary Awards including the Param Veer Chakra for its heroes.
"It is the same feeling as if we are again capturing the Tiger Hill" recalled Mahaveer Chakra awardee, Major Balwan Singh.
The Tiger Hill battle sealed India's victory during the Kargil war. And after a decade these men get together to celebrate the memories of the battle and of the men who won it.
10 years of Kargil, heroes recall the war
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