Four MIG 29 aircraft flew past the Kargil War Memorial in Ladakh's Drass on Wednesday on the occasion of the 24th Kargil Vijay Diwas. Tributes were paid to soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the nation in the 1999 Kargil War. Three Cheetal helicopters of Army Aviation also flew past the Memorial and showered flower petals on it while flying above to pay tributes to the martyred. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on this occasion laid a wreath at the Memorial and paid tribute to the martyred.
News agency ANI shared the visual of MIG 29 aircraft flying high in the sky.
ANI also shared the visual of the Cheetal helicopters soaring high.
After paying tribute, the Defence Minister addressed the Army personnel present there. While addressing them, Singh said, "I salute those brave sons, who sacrificed everything for the protection of the motherland. I salute those brave sons who put the nation first and did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for it. The bravery displayed by the soldiers of the country in Kargil in 1999, to protect India, will always be written in golden letters in history. Today, we are able to breathe in the open air because at some point even in minus temperature, our soldiers did not lower their guns."
He then issued a strong warning to our neighbouring nation and said, "A war is not just between two armies but between two nations...Even after winning the war on 26 July 1999, if our forces did not cross the LoC, it is only because we are peace-loving, we believe in Indian values, and we have a commitment to international law. At that time if we did not cross the LoC it does not mean that we could not cross the LoC. We could cross the LoC, we can cross the LoC and will cross the LoC in future if there is a need, I assure the countrymen."