Sonia Gandhi hails Indian Army's spirit of ''nation above self''

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes and expressed deep gratitude towards the Indian Armed Forces on Kargil Vijay Diwas.

"Remembering the valor and sacrifice of the armed forces in defending our borders. Their valour, sacrifice and spirit of `Nation above self` continue to inspire an entire generation," she said in a statement.

Gandhi paid homage to the jawans, JCOs and officers of the Indian Army who laid down their lives during the `Operation Vijay` which culminated this day.

Indian and Pakistani armies fought the Kargil War in May-July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC).

India launched `Operation Vijay` to clear the Kargil sector of infiltration by the Pakistani soldiers and Kashmiri militants on the Indian side of the Line of Control.

The day is observed on July 26 every year in honour of the Kargil War Heroes.It was on this day in 1999 that the Indian Armed Forces, as part of the `Operation Vijay`, recaptured Indian posts in Kargil which had been occupied by the Pakistan army.