On a morning in January 1998, the commanding officer of the Domel sector received a wireless call.
“Sir, this is Captain Karnal Sher Khan speaking. Along with two of my fellow soldiers, I have taken control of the Indian post ahead of us that was causing us trouble. Sir, now I request your permission to hold our position here.”
Hearing this message, the commanding officer was completely shocked because he had neither sent Captain Sher Khan on this mission nor had Sher Khan taken any prior permission from him.
Colonel Ashfaq Hussain writes in his book ‘Witness to Blunder: Kargil Story Unfolds‘, in January 1998, when Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the Pakistan Army was deployed at the Domel sector in the border region of the Astore district of the Northern Area Pakistan, there was ongoing discussion in his unit about the Indian posts constructed directly in front of them. These Indian posts were located right across from the 12 NLI (Northern Light Infantry) stationed in Domel, and from there, the Indian forces kept a close watch on the movements of 12 NLI, which made it difficult for the unit to keep their operations secret.
The officers of the Pakistan Army deployed in the Domel sector were considering a strategy to find the solution about the Indian post ahead. Captain Karnal Sher Khan also joined in the deliberations over this strategy.
As winter set in, heavy snowfall began everywhere, and in response, the Indian forces abandoned their post and moved back down into their territory.
One day, Pakistani commanding officer present in Domel received a message. The message was from one of his own subordinate officers who said, “Sir, this is Captain Karnal Sher Khan speaking. Along with two of my fellow soldiers, I have taken control of the Indian post ahead that had been troubling us. Sir, I request your permission so we can maintain our hold on this position.”
When the commanding officer heard this news, he was immediately distressed—how could this have happened, and now what orders should he give to Captain Sher? In a state of confusion, the commanding officer informed his brigade headquarters, and from there the news reached the 10th Corps headquarters that a brave young officer had captured an important enemy post and was seeking permission to hold it.
Upon hearing this, the then commander of the 10th Corps, General Saleem Haider, ordered that such actions must not continue and instructed that the young Captain Sher of the 12 NLI be called back from the enemy post.
Captain Karnal Sher Khan, respecting the orders of his high command, did return; however, on his return, he brought back some items from the Indian post as souvenirs. These included items used by Indian soldiers such as hand grenades, magazines of Vickers guns, three to four Indian Army uniforms, and sleeping bags.
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The Plan of Kargil War
Towards the end of 1998, when the entire area was covered in snow, the Indian forces vacated their posts from the high positions along the Line of Control and retreated, as they did every year during the winter season. At that time, Pakistan’s Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and his close generals devised a plan that as soon as the Indian Army retreated from the Line of Control during the winter, they would seize the opportunity and take control of those posts.
The Advancement of NLI
Then, at the end of 1998, Pakistani forces advanced from the beautiful Domel Valley of Astore district near the famous Rainbow Lake in Skardu and crossed the Line of Control ahead of Burzil Pass, starting to establish their own posts inside Indian-controlled Kashmir.
For this mission, Pakistan selected its Northern Light Infantry (NLI) force, which had experience in fighting in snow-covered mountains.Captain Karnal Sher Khan, who belonged to the Sindh Regiment, was also sent to the NLI to participate in the mission.
Stationed in Tiger Hill and Tololing Peak
Pakistani forces established 132 posts inside enemy territory. They even set up five posts on the highest peak in the region, Tiger Hill, which stands at more than 16,000 feet. In addition, Tololing Peak was also one of the important peaks that came under the control of Pakistani forces. Captain Sher Khan also joined this mission with full zeal and passion.
Captain Karnal Sher Khan of the 12 NLI had been relentlessly harassing the enemy through daring reconnaissance missions and sudden ambushes. On May 3, 1999, Captain Sher, along with Havaldar Wazir and other companions, set out to conduct reconnaissance of the enemy’s snow-covered territory. On May 5 and 6, Captain Karnal Sher Khan launched a surprise attack on the enemy from Musa Point.
Following this, the Colonel Commanding Officer ordered him to establish a post at enemy point 287626. Captain Sher and his men swiftly established a post at this location and informed their Commanding Officer on May 12 that the post had been successfully set up. Captain Sher’s sharp intelligence and swift actions had not only confused the enemy but now the enemy had started to take special notice of him.
The Operation
On May 13, the enemy decided to launch continuous attacks on Captain Sher’s post, concluding that as long as this Pakistani officer remained on the battlefield, they would not be able to achieve decisive success against Pakistan’s forces. That same day, the Indian forces began heavy artillery shelling on his post. Captain Sher, taking necessary precautions, positioned his soldiers behind a rocky ledge, thereby protecting them from the Indian bombardment.
Since Captain Sher and his soldiers only had light weapons, they responded very little during the Indian artillery attacks. As a result, the Indian forces assumed that either the Pakistani soldiers had been eliminated or were severely wounded. Taking this assumption as an opportunity, the Indian Army sent about ten soldiers in a helicopter to capture the post.
However, as soon as the Indian helicopter dropped troops in front of the post, unaware of Captain Sher’s strategy, he opened sudden fire, taking them by surprise. Some Indian soldiers were killed, while the remaining had to retreat due to the lack of cover.
On another occasion, during a patrolling mission near Mashkooh Nala, Captain Sher spotted a hidden enemy camp that was not visible to the naked eye. He immediately informed his Commanding Officer and requested permission to attack the secret Indian base, which was granted.
Under the cover of night, Captain Sher attacked the hidden base. In response, the Indian Army launched a heavy artillery attack from behind, and Indian fighter jets began dropping bombs from above. Despite this, Captain Sher and his seven soldiers continued their attack on the Indian post. By the time the sun rose and their location became fully visible, they had already inflicted significant damage to the enemy post.
Kargil
On July 4, 1999, he was sent on his final mission—to defend Tiger Hill. Before sending Captain Sher on this last mission, he was given a situational briefing. At the end, he was asked if he had any doubts. In response, Captain Sher said, “I have no doubts, but full belief that true salvation lies in martyrdom. One who does not believe in jihad and martyrdom is devoid of faith.”
India-Pakistan Map and Location of Kargil
On the evening of July 4, Captain Sher reached the highest peak of the sector—Tiger Hill. Upon arrival, he carefully surveyed the area and assessed the situation. On this hill, the Pakistani forces had established three defensive lines, codenamed 129-A, 129-B, and 129-C. Various defensive posts had been set up along these lines, named Kaleem Post, Kashif Post, and Wakeel Post.
When Captain Sher reached Tiger Hill, the Indian Army had already captured 129-A and 129-B. However, the 129-C line was still under Pakistani control—and it was on this very line that Captain Sher had now arrived.
The Last Day
At 6 PM, when Captain Karnal Sher Khan reached the post and assessed the entire situation, he decided that he would launch a direct attack on the Indian Army before dawn. That night, Captain Sher gathered his soldiers and delivered a brief but impactful speech on the virtues of martyrdom. Inspired by his words, every soldier was filled with the spirit of sacrifice and agreed to move forward with him to attack. However, Captain Sher selected a few soldiers to go with him and assigned the rest to provide cover fire from behind.
All night long, Captain Sher sat with a pen and paper, drawing maps and planning the strategy for the morning assault. He was accompanied by another Pakistan Army officer, Captain Ammar. Early in the morning, all soldiers performed congregational prayer, after which they prayed for victory and martyrdom.
Attack, Counter Attack, Counter-Counter Attck
After the prayers, the motivated Pakistani soldiers launched a sudden assault on the enemy-occupied posts at Tiger Hill—specifically on points 129-A and 129-B. Captain Sher and Captain Ammar led the charge fiercely against the Indian forces, all while encouraging and uplifting their troops. The attack was so intense that the Indian soldiers didn’t get a chance to recover—four were injured while the rest fled from points 129-A and 129-B. Captain Sher, Captain Ammar, and their soldiers thus regained control of the area.
As they advanced further, they found Major Hashim already positioned there. Captain Sher and Captain Ammar began discussing the next strategy with him. During this time, the Indian Army launched a massive counterattack with reinforcements. Captain Sher and his comrades successfully repelled this Indian assault with strategic brilliance.
Following their retreat, the Indian Army sent another fresh unit, which Captain Sher also defeated. However, Captain Sher and his soldiers were running low on ammunition, as their supply line from the rear had been halted. Despite this, they all stood firm with bravery. During the fighting, Captain Ammar and Major Hashim were martyred.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army managed to recapture Tiger Hill’s 129-A and 129-B positions. By that time, the sun had risen, and everything was clearly visible in daylight. Captain Sher gathered his remaining soldiers and boosted their morale, telling them they would now launch a counterattack to regain 129-A and 129-B.
Witnesses of Bravery
As Captain Sher delivered this motivational speech on the summit of Tiger Hill, an Indian JCO from the 8 Sikh Unit, hidden behind a rock on the other side, overheard him. Just moments earlier, this JCO had seen the same tall, strong Pakistani soldier dressed in a tracksuit, fighting fiercely and encouraging his troops.
Indian writer Rachna Bisht Rawat writes in her book ‘Kargil: Untold Stories from the War‘ that this Indian JCO immediately informed his brigade commander, Brigadier M.P.S. Bajwa, over the wireless: “A tall Pakistani soldier in a tracksuit is motivating his men to counterattack—and this very man has caused us numerous problems.”
Brigadier Bajwa immediately ordered his JCO: “That’s a Pakistani officer. If we are to stop this attack, that officer must be neutralized quickly.”
Brigadier Bajwa later admitted that by that time, the Pakistani officer had nearly pushed their unit off the peak, and the Indian forces were on the verge of retreat.
In broad daylight, when Captain Karnal Sher Khan and his men were fully visible to the enemy, they launched a counterattack on the Indian troops. Brigadier Bajwa, observing the situation firsthand, couldn’t help but express his astonishment and said, “This is a clear suicide mission—he’s right in front of us and can easily be targeted.”
Captain Sher and his comrades had been engaged in continuous fighting for the past eleven hours. Their numbers had dwindled, and ammunition was running out. But despite everything, Captain Karnal Sher Khan upheld the highest traditions of military bravery and launched an attack on the enemy.
Echoes of Heroism: The Rifle Butt That Defied the Enemy
Owen Bennett Jones, in his book ‘Pakistan: Eye of the Storm‘, describes the final moments of the battle, at that moment, surrender was the only realistic option. But the captain refused to give up. Instead, he ordered a counterattack. His last battle lasted only a few minutes. When the fight neared its end, Karnal Sher Khan had run out of bullets and was surrounded by Indian soldiers. Yet, his spirit remained unshaken—he began fighting with the butt of his rifle.
Without a doubt, this was one of the most heroic moments in military history, where Captain Sher was fighting his enemy in hand-to-hand combat. While striking back with the butt of his empty rifle, a wounded Indian soldier named Satpal Singh opened fire at Captain Sher, causing him to fall to the ground. Only after Captain Sher fell did the Indian Army finally manage to regain control of Tiger Hill.
Bravery Beyond Borders: The Note Brigadier Bajwa Wrote
Brigadier Bajwa of the Indian forces could not help but admire Captain Sher’s bravery. He ordered his men to carry the tracksuit-clad soldier’s body down from the 16,000-foot-high peak of Tiger Hill. When Captain Sher’s body was brought down to the Indian brigade headquarters, Brigadier Bajwa wrote on a piece of paper:
“Captain Karnal Sher Khan of 12 NLI fought with outstanding bravery and fearlessness. He deserves full recognition for his courage.”
This note was then placed in Captain Sher’s pocket.
Later, in recognition of his unparalleled bravery, the Government of Pakistan awarded Captain Karnal Sher Khan the nation’s highest military honor—Nishan-e-Haider.
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