Saluting the courage and grit of the armed forces, citizens across the country came together on the occasion of ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ to pay homage to the fallen heroes of the 1999 conflict with Pakistan.

Celebrated annually on 26 July, ‘Kargil Vijay Diwas’ marks the success of ‘Operation Vijay’ and remembers the supreme sacrifices made by the personnel of the Indian armed forces.

On Wednesday morning, #KargilVijayDiwas was the top trending topic on Twitter with thousands of tweets pouring from across the country. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to pay tributes and in his message he said: “Remembering our brave soldiers who fought gallantly for the pride of our nation & the security of our citizens during the Kargil War.”

“Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us of India’s military prowess & the great sacrifices our armed forces make while steadfastly keeping India safe,” he added.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who paid tributes to the martyrs at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate tweeted: “Salute to the valour of our soldiers on #KargilVijayDiwas”.

Minister of State Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy‏ tweeted: “On #KargilVijayDiwas, we salute India's brave soldiers who fought gallantly to protect our motherland and led us to victory.” 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje‏ said: “Facing vagaries of nature, fearlessly protecting our Borders and our Honour—I salute the sacrifices of our brave Jawans. #KargilVijayDiwas”

A wreath laying ceremony was also held to pay tribute to soldiers who lost lives in Kargil War at Jammu and Kashmir's Dras War Memorial.

While many Twitter users posted photos and posters extolling the Indian Army and remembering those who had laid down their lives, the iconic snapshot of Indian army soldiers hoisting the tri-colour atop Tiger Hill, which brought the conflict to an end, was perhaps the most popular. 

And then there were those who added a dash of humour by mocking Pakistan.

“Happy Teachers Day Pakistan. Hope you've learnt your lesson well. #KargilVijayDiwas,” tweeted Tejas M. Vaidya‏.

The Kargil conflict in the mountains of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region took place after Pakistani troops occupied Indian posts. It took about three months for the Indian forces to recapture the posts including the iconic Tiger Hill.