Yaldor Sub Sector

Yaldor Sub Sector was the scene of some of the major infiltration by Pakistani Northern Light Infantry battalions and some of the major battles of Kargil War were fought here. The sub sector basically covers Yaldor, a small village in the Indus river basin in the Leh district of Ladakh in India, and Yaldor nullah. The village located in the upper reaches of the mountains near the Line of Control that divides the Indian- and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the village abuts the Yaldor nullah. The area was a focal point during the Kargil War because of its strategic location between Kargil, Leh and Baltistan. Only a few shepherd families live in Yaldor village, they spend their summers here and then spend their winters in Garkhun, taking their livestock with them. One of the shepherds from Garkhun, Tashi Namgyal, who was looking for his missing yak was the first to report about infiltrators from Pakistan on 3 May 1999 to Indian Army.[1] The village has an army patrol base, which was set up in 1997 even before the Kargil infiltration of 1999. As of 2019, the village is out of bounds for tourists.[2]

Yaldor Sub Sector
village
Yaldor Sub Sector
Location in Ladakh
Yaldor Sub Sector
Yaldor Sub Sector (India)
Coordinates: 34.6755°N 76.4768°E / 34.6755; 76.4768
Country India
Union territoryLadakh
DistrictLeh
TehsilKhalsi
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)

Terrain and weather

The Yaldor nullah is integral part of the area's terrain. It is made up of 2 streams Yaldor West or Gragrio and Yaldor East or Junk Lungpa and they merge at the namesake village before joining Indus river at Dah. Due to mountainous terrain the roads in the area near village are serpentine.[3][4] Known for its difficult terrain, during the Kargil war, Yaldor was used as the focal point to launch attack on the 4,821-m Kukerthang and the 5,103-m Tharu despite many nullahs and non-tactical terrain. The terrain is so difficult that Indian Army and Pakistan Army, under mutual understanding left their posts in this area of LoC unattended during harsh winter.[5][6][7][8] Located in the eastern part of the Batalik–Chorbat La sector with one of the most rugged terrain after Siachen Glacier, average mountain heights here range from 15,000 to 19,000 ft (4,600 to 5,800 m). Temperatures in winter season range from minus 10-15 degrees Celsius during the day to minus 35-40 degree at night. Even during the summer, the night temperatures generally hover around minus 5-10 degrees.[9]

Wildlife

Though known for its bitter cold weather, a lot of birds and mammal sighting can be done in and around Yaldor area. These include Pallas Dippers, Blue whistling thrush, Brown Dipper and Greenish Leaf Warblers. Also can be seen are Common Swift, Eurasian Crag Martin, Large-billed Crow, and Mountain Chiffchaff. Among other bird species that can be found in the area include Grey Wagtail, Hume's leaf warbler, Red-mantled Rosefinch and Red-fronted Serin. Occasionally Himalayan Ibex can also be seen in the area.[10]

Kargil war 1999

Yaldor Sub Sector was the scene of some of the major infiltration by Pakistani Northern Light Infantry battalions and some of the major battles of Kargil War were fought here including battle to retake Jubar, Point 4812, Point 5203, Munthodalo, and Khalubar. During the war a helipad was built in the area for safe transport of troops and material.[11] Between 3–5 May 1999 two Indian army patrols in Yaldor area encountered a group of armed men, from Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Indian Army's first contact with infiltrators from Pakistan was in Banju area, who aimed to seize mountain peaks inside India to escalate Kashmir conflict, this encounter culminated in Kargil War.[12][13] The scene of some of the major battles of Kargil War, in May 1999 the 12 JKLI went through the Junk Lungpa (Lungpa means stream in ladakhi) at night to drive a wedge between enemy's defenses on Point 5203 and Khalubar Ridge, and captured Point 5390.[14] During Operation Vijay the 70 Infantry Brigade was responsible for recovery of maximum quantity of arms and ammunition and killing over 300 enemy personnel in this sector. It also captured 6 PoWs alive providing much needed proof of Pakistani involvement.[15] The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) which played a key role in providing porters for Indian Army during the conflict also sent LBA youth volunteers to Yaldor on June 23, 1999 to act as porter.[16]

Brigadier Devinder Singh, the Commander of an Infantry Brigade, who was given the responsibility for conducting operations in Batalik-Yaldor Sector during Operation Vijay, was conferred VSM for his actions.[17] Captain Amol Kalia VrC (posthumous) of 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry, was martyred on June 8, 1999, along with 13 other soldiers while trying to recapture Point 5203, a 5,200-metre (17,000 ft) high feature in the Kargil-Yaldor Sector. Captain BM Cariappa of 5 PARA, that took part in the battle to recapture Point 5203 was awarded Vir Chakra for his gallantry in several battles in sector.[14][18] By July 8, 1999 almost the entire Yaldor sector was liberated.[19] The Ladakh Scouts who were one of the first units to be deployed in the region for Operation Vijay were awarded Unit citation for bravery shown by them during the battles in the Batalik-Yaldor-Chorbatla Sector especially for capture of Point 5203.[20][14] Major M. Sarvanan of 1 Bihar battalion lost his life on May 29, 1999 while trying to capture Point 4268, he was awarded VrC (posthumous) for his actions, his body was recovered by Indian troops only on July 7, 1999. Major Sonam Wangchuk of Ladakh Scouts was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for actions in same area on June 2, 1999.[12]

Post Kargil war 1999

H. S. Panag after taking over as Brigade Commander in January 2000 oversaw a military operation in the Yaldor Sub Sector that destroyed 35 Pakistani bunkers and killed several Pakistani soldiers across the LoC there by giving India complete control over Batalik Sector. Another operation in May 2000 allowed Indian Army led by 3 Punjab and 1 Bihar to take control of 12 km (7.5 mi) of Karubar Bowl on the Pakistani side. This also gave Indian Army an option to threaten the Pakistani posts opposite Turtuk sector. He also ensured that Pakistan could not set up a post on Dolmi Barak, a 6,100-metre (20,000 ft) high peak on the eastern side of Karubar Bowl.[21]

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See also

References
  1. "Kargil War: Meet the shepherd who warned the Army".
  2. "'The Pakistani establishment has a long and consistent history of misreading India's will'".
  3. Kuldip Singh Ludra. "View to dha yaldor road with tsering".
  4. Kuldip Singh Ludra. "Operation Badr: Mussharef's Contribution to Pakistan's Thousand Years War Against India".
  5. Peter R. Lavoy. "Asymmetric Warfare in South Asia: The Causes and Consequences of the Kargil".
  6. H. S. Panag (6 September 2016). "How we pushed Pak out of the Batalik Sector". newslaundry.
  7. Praveen Swami (3 July 1999). "A Worsening War". Frontline.
  8. Shaurya Karanbir Gurung. "Kargil: What happened 20 years ago and why it's unlikely to happen again".
  9. Ail Bhatt (6 July 2019). "Army to recreate victory scenes to mark 20th anniversary of Kargil war". Press Trust of India.
  10. Jean-Yves Barnagaud (9 August 2015). "Ladakh, Spiti and Delhi" (PDF).
  11. "Cover Story - Then There was Peace".
  12. "Kargil,in hindsight".
  13. "India's Nuclear Weapons Program, India As A Nuclear Power: 1998-2001". nuclearweaponarchive.org. 30 March 2001.
  14. "Nation commemorates valour of Indian soldiers in Kargil conflict". India Today. 22 July 2016.
  15. "3 Infantry Division / Trishul Division".
  16. "LADAKH STUDIES" (PDF).
  17. "Won't Get Into Soldiers' Fight for Credit of Kargil War Victory, Says Supreme Court". News18. 27 August 2019.
  18. "Kargil Vijay Divas: Families of war martyrs felicitated". United News of India. 27 July 2019.
  19. Benjamin Lambeth (20 September 2012). "Airpower at 18,000': The Indian Air Force in the Kargil War". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
  20. Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk (21 August 2018). "Ladakh Scouts: The 'Snow Warriors' Who Stand Like a Mountain to Defend India!". The Better India.
  21. H. S. Panag (2016). "'Lost' Operation in Chorbat La" (PDF). Vayu: Aerospace & Defence Review. p. 124.
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