In 1998, India carried out nuclear tests and a few days later, Pakistan responded by more nuclear tests giving both countries nuclear deterrence capability, although India had exploded three hydrogen bombs which Pakistan lacks. Diplomatic tension ceased after the Lahore Summit was held in 1999.The sense of optimism was short-lived, however, since mid1999 Pakistani paramilitary forces and Kashmiri insurgents captured deserted, but strategic, Himalayan heights in the Kargil district of India. These had been vacated by the Indian army during the onset of the inhospitable winter and were supposed to reoccupy in spring. Once the scale of the Pakistani incursion was realised, the Indian Army quickly mobilized about 200,000 troops and Operation Vijay was launched.
Battle of Tololing - The Battle of Tololing, was one of the pivotal battles in the kargil war between Indian Armed forces and troops from Northern Light Infantry who were aided by other Pakistan irregulars in 1999. Tololing is a dominating feature overlooking Srinagar-Leh (NH1D) and was vital link. The terrain was such that frontal attacks had to be launched which resulted in heavy causalities. The three week assault finally culminated with India taking control of the peak and changing the course of the war. 23 Indian soldiers were killed in the final assault, resulting in one of the costliest battle of the entire war. Other assaults, slowly tilted the combat in India's favour. Never the less, some of the posts put up stiff resistance, including Tiger Hill (Point5140) that fell only later in the war.
The Indian Army mounted some direct frontal ground assaults which were slow and took a heavy toll given the steep ascent that had to be made on peaks as high as 18,000 feet (5,500m). Two months into the conflict, Indian troops had slowly retaken most of the ridges they had lost; according to official count, an estimated 75%–80% of the intruded area and nearly all high ground was back under Indian control. On 4 July 1999, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Sharif agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops under US pressure and the fighting came to a gradual halt, but some Pakistani forces remained in positions on the Indian side of the LOC.
The Indian Army launched its final attacks in the last week of July; as soon as the Drass sub sector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on 26 July. 26 July has since been marked as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ (Kargil Victory Day) in India. By the end of the war,India had resumed control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Shimla Accord.
