Operation Meghdoot

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Operation Trident

Siachen Glacier lies between Ladakh and Karakoram range.

Date	December 3, 1971
Location	Siachen Glacier, in a disputed and undemarcated region of Kashmir
Result	India captures most of the Siachen glacier
Territorial changes	India holds Two thirds of Siachen. Pakistan hold One third of the glacier.

Combatants

India

Pakistan

Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the preemptive attack launched by the Indian Military to capture most of the Siachen Glacier, in the disputed Kashmir region. Launched on April 13, 1984, this military operation was unique as it was the first assault launched in the world's highest battlefield. The military action was quite successful as Indian troops managed to gain two-thirds of the glacier with the rest remaining under Pakistani control.

1 Cause of conflict
2 The operation
3 Aftermath
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Cause of conflict

The Siachen Glacier became the bone of contention following a vague demarcation of territory as per the Simla Accord of 1972 which did not specifically mention who had authority over the Siachen Glacier. As a result of this, both nations lay claim to the barren land. In the 1970s and early 80s, Pakistan permitted several mountaineering expeditions to climb the peaks on the Siachen. This served to reinforce their claim on the area as these expeditions arrived on the glacier with a permit obtained from the Government of Pakistan. Indian sources claim that in many cases a liaison officer from the Pakistan army accompanied the teams. Since 1978, the Indian Army began closely monitoring the situation on the glacier and concurrently, India too had allowed mountaineering expeditions to the glacier, from its side. The most notable one was the one launched by Colonel N. Kumar of the Indian Army, who mounted an Army expedition to Teram Kangri peaks as a counter-exercise.

When Pakistan gave permission to a Japanese expedition to scale an important peak (Rimo peak) in 1984, it prompted Indians to do something drastic in order to secure the glacier. The peak, located east of Siachen overlooks the eastern areas of the Aksai Chin. The Indian military believed that such an expedition would provide a link for the western and eastern routes - the trade route leading to Karakoram Pass and China - and eventually provide a strategic, if not tactical, advantage to Pakistan Military.

[edit] The operation

Helicopters like the Mi-8 were used to airlift Indian troops to Siachen Glacier during the operations.

The Indian Military decided to take action to stop future expeditions from the Pakistani side and eventually to prevent Pakistan from staking its claim on the glacier. Accordingly, the Indian Military brought in the troops from Northern Ladakh as well as some paramilitary forces in order to send them up the glacier. Most of the troops had already been acclamatized to the extremities of the glacier after having sent them on a training expedition to Antarctica in 1982. Pakistan, meanwhile felt that the Indians were planning to capture key ridges and passes on the glacier after the Indian Army's mountaineering expedition and accordingly decided to launch its own troops on the glacier. However, according to one retired Pakistani colonel, Islamabad committed an intelligence blunder, ordering Arctic-weather gear from the same London suppliers, from whom the Indians too sourced their outfits. The Indians were soon informed about this development and immediately put their plan into action, providing them the all-important head start over Pakistan.

On April 13, 1984, the Indian Army made its move into the glacier to "defend the territory" and the peaks and passes around it when it launched "Operation Meghdoot". Named after the divine cloud messenger (Meghaduuta) in a Sanskrit play, the operation involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and dropping them in the glacial peaks. The IAF used planes such as the Il-76, An-12 and An-32 to transport stores and troops as well to airdrop supplies to high altitude airfields. Helicopters like Mi-17, Mi-8, Chetak and Cheetah carried provisions and personnel to hitherto unscaled peaks. A total of 300 odd troops were soon up on the important peaks and passes of the glacier. By the time Pakistan troops managed to get into the glacier, they found that the Indian troops had occupied two of the three mountain passes in the glacier. Handicapped by the altitude and the limited time, Pakistan could only manage to control the only one of the passes and a third of the total glacier. This despite the fact that Pakistan's route to the Glacier were more accessible unlike Indian access to the Siachen, who had to rely on airdropping of its soldiers.

All the peaks and passes in the area were soon made into permanent posts by both the countries to maintain a constant vigil. The number of casualties on both sides during this particular operation is not known.

[edit] Aftermath

The Operation was seen as a "daring" success by the Indian Military at the time and ensured that the Indian military held its tactical high ground on the glacier, albeit at a high cost. Pakistan tried to launch an all out assault in 1987 and later in 1989 to recapture the peaks held by India. The first attempt was headed by Pervez Musharraf (later President of Pakistan) and initially managed to capture a few peaks before being beaten back. Later the same year, Pakistan ended up losing at least one major Pakistani post, the "Quaid", which came under Indian control as Bana Post, in recognition of Bana Singh who launched a daring daylight attack, codenamed "Operation Rajiv".[1][2] The second attempt, in 1989 too came to nothing as the ground positions did not change. The loss of Siachen and the subsequent unsuccessful military forays prompted Benazir Bhutto to taunt Zia ul Haq that he should wear a burqa as he had lost his manliness.^[1]

Operation Meghdoot was seen as the blueprint behind the Kargil War in 1999 when Pakistan backed guerillas and paramilitary forces covertly occupied the Kargil region. Many in Pakistan believe that Operation Meghdoot was the inspiration for the abortive "Operation Kargil" launched by Pakistan. Indeed, many similarities exist between Meghdoot and Kargil, including the pre emptive nature, the tactical advantage to the person who holds the heights. However, while Operation Meghdoot was launched on an area that provided scope for ambiguity, the Line of Control in the Kargil region was clearly marked and thus few nations supported Pakistan's claim on Kargil.