Kargil war hero Lt Gen Yogesh Kumar Joshi has been appointed as GOC of 14 Corps. Joshi has received Vir Chakra, Sena Medal, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. He played a major role in re-capturing Tiger Hill.
New Delhi: Kargil war hero Lieutenant General Yogesh Kumar Joshi, who led the capture of Tiger Hill as the Commanding Officer of the 13th Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, has taken over as General Officer Commanding of Indian Army’s 14 Corps entrusted with the Defence of Ladakh which includes Kargil. One of the highest peaks in the Drass-Kargil area of Jammu & Kashmir, capturing Tiger Hill was one of the main objectives of the Indian security forces during the Kargil war in 1999. The whole operation lasted 36 hours and by 6:50 am on 4 July, the armed forces had re-captured Tiger Hill.
The height of the peak had made it easy for the Pakistan forces to see the military headquarters of the 56 Brigade which was the main Indian force in charge of the area. Apart from this, it was easy for them to keep an eye on the National Highway 1D, a strategic route to Siachen Glacier connecting Srinagar to Leh. This highway also served as the main supply route of the Kargil Sector thereby enabling Pakistan to relay information of troop and supply movements of the Indian security forces to General Headquarters (GHQ).
Tiger hill (highest mountain seen in the background) as seen from the River Indus in Kargil.
For his role in the Operation Vijay, Joshi was awarded the Vir Chakra. Since Kargil, he has also been awarded the Sena Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. He was also the head of an Indian Armed Forces delegation for direct talks with China’s PLA and was the Indian Army officer in charge of China-related and border issues.