On Monday, the Indian Air Force marked the anniversary of ‘Operation Safed Sagar’, conducted during the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan.
The IAF aimed to “flush out Pakistani regulars and intruders” who had occupied Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir during the operation.
“This was the first large-scale use of air power in the Kashmir region since the 1971 Indo-Pak war. “An air force had never before been tasked with such high-altitude precision operations in rugged mountainous terrain, making it a watershed moment in military aviation history,” it posted on X.
The Air Force said the Operation Safed Sagar, which saw the use of aircraft like Mirage 2000s, MiG 21s, Mi 17s, Jaguars, MiG 23s, MiG 27s, Chetak, and MiG 29s, was a “trailblazer” in many ways.
“It saw air power employed in unconventional roles, demonstrated the effectiveness of limited use of air assets in a localised conflict, and shattered the long-held notion that use of air power would inevitably escalate into full-scale war,” the post read.
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“The operation not only showcased the versatility and resolve of the Indian Air Force but also established the deterrent value of calibrated air strikes-even in a low-intensity conflict. It proved that air power could decisively alter the course of battle without crossing international boundaries,” it added.
The Kargil Conflict and Operation Vijay
Fighting took place on the icy heights of the Kargil mountains for nearly three months. It broke out in May when Pakistani troops and terrorists occupied peaks in the Kargil sector.
India then launched ‘Operation Vijay’ to reclaim the territory and regained control on July 26, a day now marked as ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’.
Recent Cross-Border Tensions and Military Actions
The Operation Safed Sagar anniversary comes days after the Indian armed forces struck Pakistani air bases.
To counter Pakistan’s reckless drone and missile attacks on civilian areas and military infrastructure in India’s western sector, India targeted the air bases following Operation Sindoor, which it launched in response to the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam last month.
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Operation Sindoor
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and attacked multiple terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which left 26 civilians dead.
The Indian armed forces destroyed nine camps of terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, and killed more than 100 terrorists.
After the Indian armed forces’ overnight operations, the Pakistani Army launched drones and missiles at western parts of India, which were successfully intercepted. India then hit selected military targets deep inside Pakistani territory.
The two countries reached a ceasefire agreement last Saturday to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.