WATCH: Kargil Hero Reveals the Untold Battle That Changed the War

Mandi, Himachal Pradesh: On Kargil Vijay Diwas, Brigadier Khushal Thakur (Retd.), who commanded the 18 Grenadiers during the 1999 Kargil war, says, "Even today: the bravery, valor, and courage of the army remains intact, which I personally witnessed during Kargil, and even more recently, during Operation Sindoor, I saw that it remains intact. Yes, your equipment, modernisation, and infrastructure were minimal at that time. Today, they have improved significantly, and we have become self-sufficient in weapons and equipment. I remember very well when I arrived in Dras from Kashmir, after four or five days of fighting, and when I saw that they had shot down Mi-17 helicopters with Stinger missiles. Each day was becoming more difficult for me, and my casualties were increasing. Then I realized that these weren't Mujahideen. These were their army. So the first turning point on my shoulders in this entire Kargil war was the battle of Tololing. Tololing was the most difficult operation. It is