The Northern Light Infantry Regiment ( NLI ) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army , based and currently headquartered in Gilgit , Pakistan . Along with other forces of the Pakistani military , the NLI has the primary responsibility of conducting ground operations in the interest of defending the strategically-important territory of Gilgit−Baltistan , a Pakistani-controlled region that constitutes part of Kashmir , which has been disputed between Pakistan and India since 1947. The NLI draws a majority of its recruits from native tribes present in the nearby mountainous areas who are reportedly less prone to altitude sickness and the cold temperatures that characterize high-altitude mountain warfare , allowing the regiment to conduct its duties optimally.
40-638: Yaldor Sub Sector was the scene of some of the major infiltration by Pakistani Northern Light Infantry battalions and some of the major battles of Kargil War were fought here. The sub-sector includes Yaldor, a hamlet of the Dah village in the Indus river basin in the Leh district of Ladakh in India. The village, in the upper reaches of the mountains near the Line of Control that divided
80-777: A commendation from Field Marshal Ayub Khan . By 1998, the NLI consisted of 13 battalions commanded by a Major-General of the Pakistan Army under the designation of Inspector-General of the NLI, whose office was the Inspectorate-General of NLI reporting to the GOC, X Corps as well as the Pakistani Interior Minister. Muhammad Baber Khan, the Honorary Captain, fought in the 1947–1948 Kashmir War. The British government gave
120-474: A huge cache of arms and ammunition left behind by the fleeing Pakistanis. Capt Naresh Bishnoi was awarded the Sena Medal for Gallantry for these operations Major M. Sarvanan of 1 Bihar battalion lost his life on May 29, 1999 while trying to capture Point 4268 , he was awarded VrC (posthumous) for his actions, his body was recovered by Indian troops only on July 7, 1999. Major Sonam Wangchuk of Ladakh Scouts
160-612: A key role in providing porters for the Indian Army during the conflict also sent LBA youth volunteers to Yaldor on June 23, 1999 to act as porters. Brigadier Devinder Singh, the commander of an infantry brigade, who was given the responsibility for conducting operations in Batalik-Yaldor sector during Operation Vijay , was conferred VSM for his actions. Captain Amol Kalia VrC (posthumous) of 12 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry ,
200-520: A mutual ceasefire agreement was brought into effect in 2003. During this period of intermittent fighting in the Siachen conflict , the NLI's 1st battalion performed defence and support work. In May 1999, Pakistan began operations to occupy key Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) , sparking the Kargil War . Initially Pakistan Army denied any involvement in the war. However, later on, it
240-708: Is a Tibetic language spoken in the Indian union territory of Ladakh . It is the predominant language in the Buddhist -dominated district of Leh , and a minority language in the district of Kargil . Though a member of the Tibetic family, Ladakhi is not mutually intelligible with Standard Tibetan . Ladakhis and Tibetans usually communicate with each other in Hindi or English as they do not understand each other's languages clearly. Ladakhi has several dialects: Lehskat, named after Leh where it
280-522: Is an integral part of the area's terrain. It is made up of two streams: Yaldor West, or Gragrio, and Yaldor East, or Junk Lungpa. They merge at their namesake village before joining the Indus River at Dah . Due to mountainous terrain the roads in the area of the village are serpentine. Known during the Kargil war for its difficult terrain, Yaldor was the focal point to launch attack on the 4,821-m Kukerthang and
320-698: Is spoken, Shamskat , spoken northwest of Leh, Stotskat, spoken in the Indus valley and which unlike the others is tonal, Nubra, spoken north of Leh, the Changthang language , spoken in the Changtang region by the Changpa people, and the Zangskari language , spoken in the Zanskar region of Ladakh. The Ladakhi language ( Tibetan : ལ་དྭགས་སྐད་ , Wylie : La-dwags skad ) is also referred to as Bhoti or Bodhi . Supporters of
360-629: Is spoken. 2: Shamskat, spoken northwest of Leh in the sham region of ladakh. 3 :Stotskat, spoken in the upper Indus valley of ladakh and which unlike the others is tonal. 4 :Nubraskat , spoken north of Leh in the nubra region of Ladakh. 5 :The Changthang language, spoken in the Changtang region by the Changpa people . 6: The Zangskari language, spoken in the Zanskar region of Ladakh. Nicolas Tournadre considers Ladakhi, Balti , and Purgi to be distinct languages on
400-859: The Afghan mujahideen (with backing from the CIA and ISI ) during the Soviet–Afghan War . The Northern Light Infantry has its origins in the Gilgit Scouts raised by British India in 1913 for defending the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir 's northern frontier. The Scouts, along with rebels in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces , fought for Pakistan on the northern front of the First Kashmir War , conquering important points of interest such as Skardu , Kargil and Drass (the latter two were subsequently captured by
440-540: The Arabic script by Muslim and Christian Ladakhis. Ladakhi has a regular five vowel system, but with [a] being replaced with [ə] , making it unusual, as most languages have [a] . Ladakhi is usually written using Tibetan script , and the pronunciation of Ladakhi is much closer to written Classical Tibetan than that of most other Tibetic languages . Ladakhis pronounce many of the prefix, suffix and head letters that are silent in many other Tibetic languages, in particular
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#1732877321666480-614: The Central Tibetan . This tendency is more pronounced to the west of Leh, and on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control , in Baltistan . For example, a Tibetan would pronounce sta ('axe') as [tá], but a Lehpa would say [sta], and a Purgi would pronounce [stare]. While a Tibetan would pronounce འབྲས་ ’bras ('rice') as [ɳʈɛ́ʔ], Lehpa say [ɖas], and the Purgi pronounce it as [bras]. Although
520-652: The Indian Army ). In 1949, the Gilgit Scouts were split into two forces, with the wing under the original name 'Gilgit Scouts' designated for internal security operations, and a second wing, named the 'Northern Scouts', designated for major external operations. In 1964, the Northern Scouts were further bifurcated with the raising of the 'Karakoram Scouts' based in Skardu. All three forces were brought together again in 1975, under
560-575: The Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Kashmir, abuts the Yaldor nullah. The area was a focal point during the Kargil War because of its strategic location between Kargil , Leh and Baltistan . Only a few shepherds live in Yaldor village, spending their summers here and their winters in Garkhun ( Garkon ), taking their livestock with them. One of the shepherds from Garkhun, Tashi Namgyal,
600-572: The Maharaja of Kashmir control over Gilgit Agency upon partition. At Gilgit, Brigadier Ghansara Singh arrived to assume the role of Governor. Major General H L Scott, the Kashmiri chief of military staff, later joined as well. The Gilgit Scouts , who were all Muslim, supported Pakistan's entry. Honorary Captain Muhammad Baber Khan convened a meeting of Gilgit scouts junior commissioned officers in
640-559: The Soviet Union 's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the United States , United Kingdom , Pakistan and Israel launched Operation Cyclone , in which they financed and armed the Afghan mujahideen to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a Soviet satellite state and subsequently threaten Pakistan (a U.S. ally in the Cold War ). Here, with primarily Saudi Arabian and American financing,
680-428: The United States forced Pakistan to begin a withdrawal after months of intense fighting. Pakistani casualties during this conflict, like those of other Indo−Pakistani conflicts, remain disputed and unconfirmed. International sources (such as those from the U.S. Department of Defense ) place Pakistani casualties at around 700+. After 11 years, Pakistan officially reported that around 453 of its soldiers were killed during
720-568: The 5,103-m Tharu despite many nullahs and non-tactical terrain. The terrain is so difficult that Indian Army and Pakistan Army, under mutual understanding left their posts in this area of LoC unattended during the harsh winter. Located in the eastern part of the Batalik – Chorbat La sector with some of the most rugged terrain after Siachen Glacier , average mountain heights here range from 15,000 to 19,000 ft (4,600 to 5,800 m). Temperatures in winter range from minus 10–15 degrees Celsius during
760-706: The Bhoti name hold a "lumper" view of the language: they use the term "Bhoti" to refer to Classical Tibetan and treat as the one, proper form of Tibetic languages across the Himalayas. This section of Ladakhi society has demanded inclusion Bhoti to the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution . They say that Bhoti is spoken by Ladakhis, Baltis, Tibetans, and throughout the Himalayas from Baltistan to Arunachal Pradesh . No other Tibetic-speaking group in India has agreed to
800-783: The Kargil War. The scene of some of the major battles of Kargil War, in May 1999 the 12 JKLI went through the Junk Lungpa (Lungpa means stream in Ladakhi ) at night to drive a wedge between enemy's defenses on Point 5203 and Khalubar Ridge, and captured Point 5390. During Operation Vijay the 70 Infantry Brigade was responsible for recovery of maximum quantity of arms and ammunition and killing over 300 enemy personnel in this sector. It also captured 6 PoWs alive, providing much needed proof of Pakistani involvement. The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) which played
840-476: The Karubar Bowl on the Pakistani side. This also gave the Indian Army an option to threaten the Pakistani posts opposite Turtuk sector. He also ensured that Pakistan could not set up a post on Dolmi Barak, a 6,100-metre (20,000 ft) high peak on the eastern side of Karubar Bowl. Northern Light Infantry The Northern Light Infantry is best known for the extensive assistance and training it provided to
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#1732877321666880-693: The Northern Light Infantry regiment was to function as a paramilitary force , at par with the Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Corps , under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior and commanded by regular Pakistan Army officers. In 1967 and 1970, two battalions of the NLI were airlifted and deployed to Karachi , Sindh , for internal security duties such as riot control and aiding civil authorities during an election-related period of violence. The regiment's performance during this time earned them
920-617: The Northern Light Infantry trained Afghan mujahideen fighters in Gilgit−Baltistan before sending them back to Afghanistan with state-of-the-art armaments to fight the Soviet military . India 's 1984 seizure of the Siachen Glacier (an area of Kashmir that was uninhabited and not controlled by any parties to the Kashmir conflict ) resulted renewed high-level tensions with Pakistan until
960-520: The Tibetan script. Most Buddhist Ladakhis can sound out the Tibetan script but do not understand Classical Tibetan, yet many Ladakhi Buddhist scholars insist that Ladakhi must be written only in a form of Classical Tibetan, seeing the vernacular-based orthography only as deviation from the "proper" language. A limited number of books and magazines have been published in colloquial Ladakhi, one example being Ladags Melong from SECMOL . In Ladakhi language, it
1000-490: The area include Grey Wagtail , Hume's leaf warbler , Red-mantled Rosefinch and Red-fronted Serin . Occasionally Himalayan Ibex can also be seen in the area. Yaldor Sub Sector was infiltrated by battalions of the Pakistani Northern Light Infantry , and some of the major battles of Kargil War were fought here including battles to retake Jubar, Point 4812, Point 5203, Munthodalo, and Khalubar. During
1040-543: The banner of the Northern Light Infantry (then a paramilitary force). Following the 1999 Kargil War with India, where the Northern Light Infantry saw extensive combat, the force was converted into a regular regiment of the Pakistan Army . A new paramilitary force was created in 2003 under the name Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts to fill the internal security role of the former Gilgit Scouts. Upon its founding,
1080-471: The basis of mutual intelligibility (Zangskari is not as distinct). As a group they are termed Ladakhi–Balti or Western Archaic Tibetan . Zangskari is a dialect of Ladakhi spoken in Zanskar and also spoken by Buddhists in the upper reaches of Lahaul ( Himachal Pradesh ) and Paddar (Paldar). It has four subdialects, Stod, Zhung, Sham, and Lungna. It is written using the Tibetan script by Buddhists and
1120-586: The classification, instead adopting their own names for their languages for legal recognition: Bhutia , Lepcha and Limboo . In addition, an 2008–2009 survey by Central Institute of Indian Languages found only a negligable number of Leh families calling their mother tongue "Bhoti". The name Bhoti or Bodhi has connotations with Tibetan Buddhism, a major religion in the area. Many Ladakhi people contest this classification as there are also Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh speakers of Ladakhi. Ladakhi has several dialects: 1 :Lehskat, named after Leh where it
1160-542: The conflict. PM Nawaz Sharif and some other sources placed the Pakistani casualties figure from 2,700 to 4,000 personnel. The regiment has been taking part in counter-insurgency operations in North-West Pakistan . On 12 June 2013, the commanding officer of the 11th NLI battalion was killed in an IED attack during a military operation in Tirah Valley . Ladakhi language The Ladakhi language
1200-528: The day to minus 35–40 degree at night. Even in summer, overnight temperatures generally hover around minus 5–10 degrees. Though the area is known for bitter cold weather, a lot of birds and mammals can be seen in and around Yaldor. These include Pallas Dippers , Blue whistling thrush , Brown Dipper and Greenish Leaf Warblers . Also can be seen are Common Swift , Eurasian Crag Martin , Large-billed Crow , and Mountain Chiffchaff . Among other bird species in
1240-458: The dogra check post. After deserting, the Sikh and dogra components were apprehended. Consequently, 27000 square miles were freed from Dogra Raj. Major Muhammad Tufail Shaheed (Nishan-i-Haider), Honorary Captain Muhammad Baber Khan of the 1st Northern Light Infantory Regiment , who was instrumental in the 1947 fight of liberation from Dogra Raj , was then assigned as the force's commander. Following
Yaldor Sub Sector - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-572: The first units to be deployed in the region for Operation Vijay, were awarded Unit citation for bravery during the battles in the Batalik-Yaldor-Chorbatla sector, especially for capture of Point 5203. They were also awarded the Chief of Army Staff Banner for gallantry, which was received by Captain Naresh Bishnoi of 71 Armoured Regiment on deputation with Ladakh Scouts. The attack on Point 5203
1320-462: The junior commissioned officers' mess on October 31, 1947, in the afternoon. At this meeting, it was resolved to overthrow the dogra rule . The governor gave himself up on November 1, 1947. The Muslim company of Captain Hassan Khan's 6 Jammu Kahmir infantry battalion, which was traveling from Bunji to Gilgit , joined the scouts as well. The scouts set Partab Bridge on fire and attacked, destroying
1360-509: The pronunciation is relatively conservative, the Ladakhi language has accumulated significant grammatical differences from the classical, written language. The question of whether to write colloquial Ladakhi ( phalskat ) in the Tibetan script or to write an only slightly Ladakhified version of Classical Tibetan ( choskat ) is controversial in Ladakh. Muslim Ladakhis speak Ladakhi but most do not read
1400-457: The war a helipad was built in the area for safe transport of troops and material. Between 3–5 May 1999 two Indian army patrols in Yaldor area encountered a group of armed men, from Pakistan-administered Kashmir . The Indian Army's first contact in the Banju area with infiltrators from Pakistan, who aimed to seize mountain peaks inside India to escalate Kashmir conflict. This encounter culminated in
1440-684: Was awarded the Mahavir Chakra for actions in same area on June 2, 1999. H. S. Panag after taking over as Brigade Commander in January 2000 oversaw a military operation in the Yaldor Sub Sector that destroyed 35 Pakistani bunkers and killed several Pakistani soldiers across the LoC , giving India complete control over Batalik sector. Another operation in May 2000 allowed Indian Army led by 3 Punjab and 1 Bihar to take control of 12 km (7.5 mi) of
1480-520: Was led by Capt Naresh Bishnoi, the company commander of L Company, Karokaram Wing Ladakh Scouts on the night of 21/22 June 1999. This company under this captain (nicknamed Nabi by the Pakistanis) thereafter in a series of relentless operations re-captured Dog Hill, Stangba, Pandma Go and then Point 5229 between 05 July and 10 July 1999 from the Pakistanis. The company captured Nk Inayat Ali of 5 NLI alive, and
1520-486: Was looking for a missing yak and was the first to report infiltrators from Pakistan on 3 May 1999 to the Indian Army. The village has an army patrol base, which was set up in 1997 even before the Kargil infiltration of 1999. As of 2019, the village is out of bounds for tourists. "Batalik-Khalse Road" (BK Road), 78 km long road to this touristy Aryan Valley which includes Yaldor Sub Sector, has been upgraded. The Yaldor nullah
1560-535: Was martyred on June 8, 1999, along with 13 other soldiers, while trying to recapture Point 5203, a 5,200-metre (17,000 ft) high feature in the Kargil-Yaldor Sector. Captain BM Cariappa of 5 PARA , that took part in the battle to recapture Point 5203 was awarded Vir Chakra for his gallantry in several battles in sector. By July 8, 1999 almost the entire Yaldor sector was liberated. The Ladakh Scouts , one of
1600-519: Was reported that the Pakistan Army had launched forces exclusively from the Northern Light Infantry during this conflict. These included the 5th , 6th , 8th and 12th battalions in full strength and some elements of the 3rd , 4th , 7th and 11th battalions with the paramilitary Chitral and Bajaur Scouts , both of the Frontier Corps , deployed for logistical support . Massive Indian counterattack coupled with heavy diplomatic pressure from
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