Near Tiger Hill, Point 5353 still Pak-occupied

[destiny]

Manu Pubby

Posted: Monday , Jul 13, 2009 at 0211 hrs

Drass:

Standing tall and dominating the famous Tiger Hill on the Line of Control (LoC) is a grim reminder of the Kargil war. Point 5353, the highest peak in the region which has a clear view of the National Highway 1 D, remains occupied by Pakistan even a decade after the battle.

While the point is clearly on the Indian side of the LoC, it remains in Pakistani control which has fortified it with reinforced bunkers and has even built a special road nearby to carry up supplies for soldiers.

The Indian Army, which made several unsuccessful attempts to occupy the post after the Kargil war, has since given up the post as “untenable” given the geography of the region that makes it fairly easy for Pakistani troops to climb.

What makes Point 5353 so valuable for the two armies is that it has a clear view of the national highway that connects the Kashmir valley with Kargil. The main reason the Army retaliated hard to the Pakistani intrusion in 1999 was that disruption of traffic on the road would cut off supplies to Ladakh and the Siachen glacier.

While officers say that Point 5353 is surrounded by three Indian posts, including Point 5240 and any action from there would be neutralised, the fact remains that artillery observers from the post can easily direct fire on a 25 km stretch of the national highway.

Besides, the most dominating feature in the region has a clear view of the Tiger Hill and surrounding areas. Sources say Pakistan has constructed concrete bunkers at the location and have a special supply base on their side of the LoC that has substantial reinforcements.

Several attempts to dislodge Pakistani troops from the posts with the help of artillery fire remained unsuccessful till action became impossible after the 2003 ceasefire. The Army has since given up the option of retaking the post in the larger interest of peace in the area.

Even a decade after the war and several revelations by Pakistani officers that the main aim of the intrusion was to cut off the strategic Drass-Kargil highway so that supplies to Siachen would dry up, the road remains under the threat of enemy fire. Besides Drass and Point 5353, several other stretches of the road at places like Kaksar are under Pakistani observation.

While a lot of papers were moved after the Army said that an alternative all-weather road to Leh and Siachen is urgently required, work on the ground remains extremely slow. Efforts are on to make the Manali-Leh highway into an all-weather road but even the most positive estimates say the strategic tunnel at Rohtang pass will take at least seven more years to complete.

Supplies for Leh and the Siachen glacier follow two basic routes — through the Rohtang pass on the Manali-Leh highway or through the Zojila pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway 1 D. While the 13,000 feet Rohtang pass remains cut off longer in winters, the 11,500 feet Zojila pass generally opens earlier and is used to carry supplies for Army units.

What is worrisome is that even after a decade of the Kargil war, highway 1 D remains under the threat of being cut off by enemy fire.


Near Tiger Hill, Point 5353 still Pak-occupied

 

[TOPGUN]

Shall we talk about kashmir as well or the sir kreek issue or so many others in all due respect all these kind of posts just cause tension here neather u me or any of us here can play gov so its useless to talk about them now talking about friendship & peace is more like it hope u got the point boss!

 

[destiny]

how to delete a post ...

 

[ouiouiouiouiouioui]

ur post is useless...no point

 

[Mr. Shamayel Afzal Khan]

Alhamdulillah

 

[spectribution]

Commander ordered capture of Point 5353 in Kargil war

By Praveen Swami





NEW DELHI, JUNE 29 . Indian soldiers had attempted to capture Point 5353, a strategically-important peak in the Dras sector, in the first days of the Kargil war. New evidence that such an assault took place blows apart contradictory claims by the former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, and top military officials that the feature does not lie on the Indian side of the Line of Control.

An investigation by The Hindu has gained access to orders issued to Major Navneet Mehra of the 16 Grenadiers Regiment, ordering him to lead an assault on Point 5353, so named for its altitude in metres. It is the highest feature in the Dras sector, and allows the Pakistani troops to observe National Highway 1A, as well as an alternative Dras-Kargil route that is now under construction.

Major Mehra's men were asked to evict the Pakistani intruders on Point 5353 by 6 a.m. on May 18, 1999. The officer's plan was to set up three fire bases along the base of the peak to support the infantry assault by two groups.

Although backed by some artillery, both groups faced a difficult climb, under direct fire from both the Pakistani positions on Point 5353 and Point 5165.

However, Major Mehra's despatches note, his commanding officer, Col. Pushpinder Oberoi, gave specific orders "to go for it at any cost." Col. Oberoi's troops failed to execute his instructions. Ill-equipped for the extreme cold, and not properly acclimatised to the altitude, the troops withdrew after suffering 13 casualties. The attack was finally called off at 3 a.m. on May 19, 1999.

After news broke that the Pakistani troops occupied Point 5353, the Indian Army denied that the peak had ever been held by India, or, indeed, was on its side of the LoC. A press release issued on August 11, 2000, asserted that the "point was never under our control either before or after Operation Vijay in Kargil." Mr. Fernandes seemed to disagree. Asked about the status of Point 5353 at a subsequent press conference, he insisted that "every inch of the land is under our control."

Mr. Fernandes' subsequent statements added to the confusion. Speaking to an audience in Mumbai, he said "Point 5353 is the point over which the LoC goes. Fact is, our troops had never occupied that."

However, on January 1, 2001, the Press Information Bureau issued a photograph of Mr. Fernandes standing on what it claimed was Point 5353. Later, the PIB was forced to sack a junior staffer for "an administrative error."

War-time media reports, based on Army briefings, suggest that further efforts to take the peak were made from July 21, 1999, well after the fighting had officially ended. While these efforts were unsuccessful, the available evidence suggests that then-56 Brigade Commander Amar Aul responded by occupying two heights on the Pakistani side of the LoC, 4875 and 4251.

Subsequently, the local commanders hammered out a deal, where both agreed to leave points 5353, 5240, 4251 and 4875 unoccupied.

Towards October-end, for reasons still not clear, the 16 Grenadiers were ordered to take Point 5240 and the 1-3 Gurkha Rifles Point 5353. While the 16 Grenadiers' attack proceeded as planned, despite bad weather, the 1-3 Gurkha Rifles, for reasons still not clear, never made their way up to Point 5353. When the Pakistani troops detected the Indian presence on 5240, they promptly reoccupied Point 5353.

Interestingly, however, the 16 Grenadiers' records on the Point 5353 assault refer to Point 5353 as "a minor objective." So too, do entries in Col. Oberoi's confidential service records. This assessment was vindicated during the artillery clashes in 2001-2002, when the Pakistani observation posts on Point 5353 were unable to bring accurate fire to bear on either the highway or nearby Indian positions. The Indian troops were able to tie down the Pakistani position with accurate fire, rendering it near-impossible for its superior altitude to be used to good effect.

The Hindu : National : Commander ordered capture of Point 5353 in Kargil war

We got a Peak , they got another one straddling the LOC, that India never ever lay foot on.

 

[Mr. Shamayel Afzal Khan]

they tried to occupy it many times but Alhamdulillah they failed so badly.......Indian Army was in panic...

 

[shiv]

they tried to occupy it many times but Alhamdulillah they failed so badly.......Indian Army was in panic...

What are u rambling about ?

Pakistanis like you should understand the basic geography of the place. There are 3 peaks in that area and if you control 2 you have upper hand. If lets say IA is lying, still they are controlling the area.

And you guys term this as a victory ? Guys get real. Thousands of brave patriotic pakistani men gave up their lives so that a bunch of PA top commanders can circle jerk and have a shot at their wet dream.

And to what end ? those soldier's dead bodies weren't even accepted. Utter disrespect even in their deaths !

 

[Mr. Shamayel Afzal Khan]

just to correct not two many were captured and left vacant later on so don't say two....and if ever the bombing starts from one of 'em....it will cut off Indian Army from the land access route...so we won...you are wrong about the soldiers dead bodies even...many soldiers were rewarded with awards and 2 of 'em given highest military honor...it would not have been possible without accepting their bodies and all the graves of soldiers are here in Pakistan....again a wrong info that you have

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

just to correct not two many were captured and left vacant later on so don't say two....and if ever the bombing starts from one of 'em....it will cut off Indian Army from the land access route...so we won...you are wrong about the soldiers dead bodies even...many soldiers were rewarded with awards and 2 of 'em given highest military honor...it would not have been possible without accepting their bodies and all the graves of soldiers are here in Pakistan....again a wrong info that you have

Bitch Please! During the early days of Kargil Conflict even when Pakistani intruders took over all of the peaks in the near vicinity of NH-1D including Tiger Hill and Tololing they were not able to cut off the supply lines to Siachen as planned and now when Point 5353 is surrounded by three Indian posts, including Point 5240 and that any action from there would be neutralized you expect to take over NH-1D thinking of it as a piece of cake? If so then please you are welcome to get screwed once again just like got screwed in 1999!

When you were bombarding NH-1D during the 1999 Kargil War, the Indian soldiers had built a huge wall with more than the height of a truck, overnight. The wall was so strong that even the bombs hurled by Pakistan could not have any effect on the army trucks. After the wall was constructed, the Army trucks were able to supply logistics and other equipment to the soldiers safely. 'The Great wall of India' not only helped Indian soldiers in fighting against Pakistani intruders but also saved lives of lots of soldiers and army officers.

​

And please Half of the digging of the Rohtang tunnel, a strategically important project that will ensure all-weather connectivity to Siachen and Ladakh areas bordering Pakistan and China, has been completed - Construction of civil works of the tunnel is in progress, and a progress of about 4.16 km tunnel heading has been achieved till date and when this will be operational by 2017 - it will ensure all-weather connectivity to Siachen 24x7 all round the year and then we don;t have to depend upon NH-1D for the supply lines ​

 

[Parul]

5 years old thread bumped.

 

[Mr. Shamayel Afzal Khan]

You can only fool those who don't know anything....this area was under Pakistan Army's control even more ahead of this...Indians were not able to do anything until cease fire....i guess you must be dreaming of building a great wall ...and yes point 5353 is our victory....then after war if you build a wall...shall I tell you that a wall can only stop fires but nothing from height so lol and yes you may build a tunnel we will also destroy it when the time will come like 1999 when you lost 5353 and control of national highway....lucky you that cease fire took place otherwise...you would have lost everything....only ignorant can believe in what you say.....and to remind you that is the area of Pakistan as Jammu and Azad Kashmir belongs to Pakistan which are occupied illegally by Indians and we can go and move out of our area anytime for that we don't need permissions and building of tunnel states clearly that you lost and you are afraid of Pakistan's control over the highway....we are allowing you so far to use it...we can block it at anytime we like

 

[kaku1]

You can only fool those who don't know anything....this area was under Pakistan Army's control even more ahead of this...Indians were not able to do anything until cease fire....i guess you must be dreaming of building a great wall ...and yes point 5353 is our victory....then after war if you build a wall...shall I tell you that a wall can only stop fires but nothing from height so lol and yes you may build a tunnel we will also destroy it when the time will come like 1999 when you lost 5353 and control of national highway....lucky you that cease fire took place otherwise...you would have lost everything....only ignorant can believe in what you say.....and to remind you that is the area of Pakistan as Jammu and Azad Kashmir belongs to Pakistan which are occupied illegally by Indians and we can go and move out of our area anytime for that we don't need permissions and building of tunnel states clearly that you lost and you are afraid of Pakistan's control over the highway....we are allowing you so far to use it...we can block it at anytime we like

You guys remain in a dream, after 1965, that we win that war. Then 1971 happened, you guys remain in dream for more than 2 decades that we win that war, because we saved west Pakistan.

And now when this dream going to end, in 2020 or 2030, I think this going to be your longest, may be for 3-4 decades.

Think logically, talk practically.

 

[pursuit of happiness]

You can only fool those who don't know anything....this area was under Pakistan Army's control even more ahead of this...Indians were not able to do anything until cease fire....i guess you must be dreaming of building a great wall ...and yes point 5353 is our victory....then after war if you build a wall...shall I tell you that a wall can only stop fires but nothing from height so lol and yes you may build a tunnel we will also destroy it when the time will come like 1999 when you lost 5353 and control of national highway....lucky you that cease fire took place otherwise...you would have lost everything....only ignorant can believe in what you say.....and to remind you that is the area of Pakistan as Jammu and Azad Kashmir belongs to Pakistan which are occupied illegally by Indians and we can go and move out of our area anytime for that we don't need permissions and building of tunnel states clearly that you lost and you are afraid of Pakistan's control over the highway....we are allowing you so far to use it...we can block it at anytime we like

--
can you block asap please..

 

[Zarvan]

Standing tall and dominating the famous Tiger Hill on the Line of Control (LoC) is a grim reminder of the Kargil war. Point 5353, the highest peak in the region which has a clear view of the National Highway 1 D, remains occupied by Pakistan even a decade after the battle.
While the point is clearly on the Indian side of the LoC, it remains in Pakistani control which has fortified it with reinforced bunkers and has even built a special road nearby to carry up supplies for soldiers.

The Indian Army, which made several unsuccessful attempts to occupy the post after the Kargil war, has since given up the post as "untenable" given the geography of the region that makes it fairly easy for Pakistani troops to climb.

What makes Point 5353 so valuable for the two armies is that it has a clear view of the national highway that connects the Kashmir valley with Kargil. The main reason the Army retaliated hard to the Pakistani intrusion in 1999 was that disruption of traffic on the road would cut off supplies to Ladakh and the Siachen glacier.

While officers say that Point 5353 is surrounded by three Indian posts, including Point 5240 and any action from there would be neutralised, the fact remains that artillery observers from the post can easily direct fire on a 25 km stretch of the national highway.

Besides, the most dominating feature in the region has a clear view of the Tiger Hill and surrounding areas. Sources say Pakistan has constructed concrete bunkers at the location and have a special supply base on their side of the LoC that has substantial reinforcements.

Several attempts to dislodge Pakistani troops from the posts with the help of artillery fire remained unsuccessful till action became impossible after the 2003 ceasefire. The Army has since given up the option of retaking the post in the larger interest of peace in the area.

Even a decade after the war and several revelations by Pakistani officers that the main aim of the intrusion was to cut off the strategic Drass-Kargil highway so that supplies to Siachen would dry up, the road remains under the threat of enemy fire. Besides Drass and Point 5353, several other stretches of the road at places like Kaksar are under Pakistani observation.

While a lot of papers were moved after the Army said that an alternative all-weather road to Leh and Siachen is urgently required, work on the ground remains extremely slow. Efforts are on to make the Manali-Leh highway into an all-weather road but even the most positive estimates say the strategic tunnel at Rohtang pass will take at least seven more years to complete.

Supplies for Leh and the Siachen glacier follow two basic routes — through the Rohtang pass on the Manali-Leh highway or through the Zojila pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway 1 D. While the 13,000 feet Rohtang pass remains cut off longer in winters, the 11,500 feet Zojila pass generally opens earlier and is used to carry supplies for Army units.

What is worrisome is that even after a decade of the Kargil war, highway 1 D remains under the threat of being cut off by enemy fire.

http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/near-tiger-hill-point-5353-still-pakoccupied/488505/0