Tributes are being paid to soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.
As the country celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas on Friday, the families of the soldiers remembered the bravery and dedication of their loved ones and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.
Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Major (Honorary Capt) Yogendra Singh Yadav (Retd.) said that the people of the nation are proud of the soldiers who laid their lives for the country.
"Today the people of the country are proud of the soldiers who laid their lives for the country. Today we have gathered here at the memorial in Drass to pay homage to those brave soldiers," he said.
Subedar Major RT Rais Ahmed said that he got involved in the Indian Army in 1997 and remembered all the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation.
"For the past three years, we have come here to pay tribute to our brave soldiers. The Army has become much stronger and stronger. They fight for our country in our situation. On the occasion of 25 Kargil Vijay Diwas, we remember all our soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation. Ahead of PM Modi's visit here today, the morale of the Armed Forces will be boosted," he said.
Veteran Chief Petty Officer Radio IND Navy Anant Joshi said, "The 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas is very important for us. In which 527 people sacrificed their lives for the nation. The people who sacrificed their lives for the country were the youngsters. The people of today's generation should learn all this."
Eshanika, daughter of an Army officer, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that, as the PM, he is doing a really great job.
"PM Modi coming here is a really good thing and I am always a fan of him, like he is my role model. So I am pretty happy. Him coming here and paying tribute is a really good thing." she said.
Tashi Namgyal, the man who first spotted Pakistani intruders, said that he gave the report to the forces and after eight, the war started.
"During that time, I saw six people with the binoculars and then I gave the report to the Punjab unit," he said.
Meanwhile, in Kargil, security was heightened ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Kargil War Memorial on the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas 2024.
PM Modi will visit Kargil today on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
PM Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial at around 9:20 am and pay tribute to the bravehearts. Prime Minister Modi will also carry out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project, virtually
The arrangements are in full accordance with security purposes at the Kargil War Memorial at Dras, ahead of the Prime Minister's visit.
Kargil Vijay Diwas, observed annually on July 26, commemorates the success of Operation Vijay in 1999. During this conflict, Indian forces successfully reclaimed strategic positions in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir that had been infiltrated by Pakistani soldiers and terrorists.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)