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BACKGROUND
Sher Khan was the youngest of his two brothers
and two sisters. His mother died in 1978 when he
was eight. He was brought up by his paternal
aunts. His family is deeply religious and they
say that Sher was an embodiment of piety and
Islamic teaching.
After completing his intermediate from
Government College Swabi he joined Pakistan Air
Force as an air man. On completion of his
training, he was appointed electric fitter
(aeronautical) at Risalpur. During these years
he appointed twice for commission in the
Pakistan Army as this was what he really wanted
to do — he succeeded the second time. He joined
the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul in November
1992 and graduated in the 90th Long Course in
1994. His first posting was at Okara in 27th
Sindh Regiment. Always smiling as a devoted
soldier, he was fondly called Shera and was very
popular among his officers and colleagues. In
January 1998 he volunteered to serve at the LoC
in Kashmir, he was posted in 12 NLI.
MAIN ACHIEVEMENT
The Tiger Hill Complex is
a set of six strategic posts; the Tiger Hill
Top, Western Spur, Eastern Spur, India Gate,
Rocky Knob and Helmet. If the Indian account is
to be believed, Captain Karnal Sher Khan was
responsible for setting up and defending one of
these posts. On the other hand, the Pakistani
account states that Sher was responsible for
setting up forward defensive posts around the
Gultari and Mushkoh Valley areas in Kargil, and
that he had nothing to do with Tiger Hill. This
article is based on the Indian account. In any
case, the actual location does not matter as
will be seen in the remainder of this article.
From Indian readings, it appears that Sher was
in fact defending the post on the Western Spur.
The truth, however, will never be known. The
active participation of the Kashmiri Freedom
Fighters in the Tiger Hill battles is, however,
a well researched fact.
Tiger Hill Top was the most strategic post at
Kargil. This was the highest peak overlooking
the Srinagar-Leh Highway. Although there were
other active posts from where the Indian supply
lines to Siachen glacier could be cut as well,
Tiger Hill Top was the most effective. For the
protection of Tiger Hill Top, the Pakistani
soldiers and Kashmiri Freedom Fighters occupied
the five other posts in the Tiger Hill complex.
The most important was the Western Spur post,
which had to be neutralized in order to launch
any sort of infantry offensive on the Tiger Hill
Top post.
The task of isolating the Western Spur post was
given to the Indian 8 Sikh Regiment (800 - 1000
men). Later on, this regiment also participated
in the capture of Tiger Hill Top. The task of
bombarding this post was given to the Indian 41
Field regiment (a full field unit with massive
heavy artillery capability).
Manning the Western Spur post was Captain Karnal
Sher Khan with 21 ORs (Other Ranks, men who are
ordinary sepoys and do not hold any specific
rank).
From 26th June to 27th June, the 41 Field
Regiment excessively shelled the Western Spur
post with no less than 19 Howitzers, while the
Indian Air Force Mirage 2000 jets flew sorties
over the post and pounded the bunkers with laser
guided bombs. Under these circumstances some
infantrymen from 8 Sikh also fired at the posts
held by Sher and his men, and 'dared them to
recite the Kalima, for it will be their final
one'. Obviously, the Pakistanis and the
Kashmir's did not get any sleep during this
time.
It was around 9:00 PM on the 27th of June 1999
that the 8 Sikh launched a fierce attack on the
Western Spur post. The tired 'intruders' tried
to fight back, but the sheer number of the
Indians (450 - 500 men) along with the IAF and
Artillery support made it impossible for them to
hold on. There were not many casualties on
either side, but as far as Karnal Sher's men
were concerned, there didn't have to be many, as
they were not great in number to start with.
Karnal Sher finally retreated from the post,
going to a point of lower elevation. The Indians
had gotten hold of the Western Spur post. They
were in a terrific position to launch the final
offensive on the other posts, especially the
Tiger Hill Top.
Karnal Sher was in a terrible spot. The Indians
were now at an elevated position; they were much
greater in number and had the support of a much
bigger artillery. Unlike Sher's men they were
well rested, as the enemy did not subject them
to intense fire and they also had no shortage of
ammunition or food.
One of Sher's men had died during the attack.
Most of the others were wounded. To top it all,
some Sikh soldiers were still daring them to
come out and recite their final Kalima.
One of Karnal Sher's men asked him about what
they were supposed to do next.
"Counter Attack", replied Sher
The stunned man gazed at Sher. Counter Attack
under the circumstances was suicidal. The
Indians had an advantage in every thinkable
manner. They had also been fortifying their
defense ever since they had taken the Western
Spur.
"Counter Attack?", the man asked Sher again.
"Yes counter attack. The Indians attacked my
post at night, with heavy artillery and air
support. I will attack them in broad daylight
with the men that I have left."
Sher had been operational in the area since
November 1998. He knew the Drass Sector area
inside out. He had a good idea of the positions
that could be taken for an attack on the Western
Spur. The 8 Sikh Regiment had not utilized any
of those areas in their attack, hence Sher took
the chance they were not well aware of their
existence. During the night he placed his men in
those positions, strategically placing the
compact artillery that they had in the optimum
areas.
The counter attack, with 21 men, was launched on
the Indians occupying the Western Spur. Sher's
men were told never to stay in on position while
attacking, and the positions that every man was
to move to and from during the attack were also
identified. Every one of Sher's men was changing
position to no less than 8 places.
This was the shortest battle of the entire
Kargil operation, taking no more than one hour.
There were many reasons for its success. First
of all was the deployment. As an Indian soldier
would be killed, the others would direct fire
towards the area from where the fire came from.
In the mean time however, the Pakistani/
Kashmiri would have changed his position to
another area where he was safe from the Indian
firing but still could see them.
Secondly, the Indians were not expecting an
attack from the positions where Karnal Sher had
deployed his men. Had they known about them in
advance, they would have placed their own men
over there as a defensive measure.
The third was the timing of the attack. It came
at the most unexpected time, only 7 or 8 hours
after the Indian offensive.
Finally, there was the sheer ferocity of the
attack. Sher's men knew before going into the
attack that they are going in for an impossible
task. They had no fear of death, and that itself
makes a better fighter during any battle.
As the 8 Sikh regiment began to retreat, Kernal
Sher left his position and came out in the open.
He started reciting the Kalima aloud. Picking up
his machine gun he started charging towards the
retreating forces.
"Cowards!" he said, "Where are you running off
to? I will not let you run away like this."
Sher's remaining men, having suffered some
casualties while they were ascending the Western
Spur post, finally managed to reach on top. They
replaced the Indian Flag with the Pakistani one
and started chanting slogans of 'Allah O Akbar'.
Sher, on the other hand, was obsessed with the
retreating forces.
"I am reciting the Kalima as you had dared me
to." he shouted, "Where are you running off to?
Stop and fight. Make this my last Kalima if you
can". While saying this he was seen running
after the retreating troops, firing at will,
with little or no opposition except from the
ongoing artillery shelling. 10 or 12 of Sher's
men, who had taken up positions on the Western
Spur, also opened havoc wreaking fire on the
retreating troops to add to their woes.
Captain Karnal Sher followed the Indian troops
until he reached the proximity of the 8 Sikh
Regiment base camp.
Most of the men who had retreated from the
Western Spur had come back to the base camp. The
base camp already had around 300 to 400
soldiers. When the commanding officer was given
the news of the counter attack at the Western
Spur post, he radioed back to the Indian
intelligence and cursed them for letting him
believe that there were only 20 odd men in the
area. He told them that at least a company
strength (150 men) of militants had just
attacked and retaken the Western Spur post.
One of the soldiers told the Commanding officer
that the enemy commander was following them
down. The CO told the man not to worry as one
man would not dare enter the base camp. However,
he was anticipating that a much larger party of
militants would attack the base camp. He ordered
his men to take the necessary defensive
positions.
While the 8 Sikh soldiers were taking their
defensive positions, they were greeted with the
sound of 'Allah O Akbar' followed by intense
machine gun fire on those areas where any
movement was taking place.
Anticipating a company sized attack, the CO was
stunned to see one man, reciting the Kalima
aloud, charging towards the center of the camp.
"Come out cowards!" Captain Sher shouted having
reached the center, "I will show you how to
fight a battle".
Angered by the dare inside their own camp, two
Sikh soldiers tried to attack Sher. Their attack
was of no avail; the captain, who had started
firing in their direction the moment they tried
to move, killed both.
It was apparent that this was not an attack by a
complete company, but by only one man. "You are
surrounded from all sides " the CO shouted to
Sher, "There are no men with you. You cannot
possibly kill us all. There does not have to be
any unnecessary bloodshed. Lay down your weapon
and Surrender".
Sher fired in the direction of the Commanding
Officer's voice. "I would rather die than to
surrender to you" he said. While trying to
continue firing, Sher realized that the
ammunition in his machine gun had finished.
Seeing that he no longer had any ammunition, the
Indian soldiers, including their CO, came out in
the open and showed Sher that he was indeed
surrounded from all sides. They started moving
closer and closer to him, tightening their
circle around him.
"Look around yourself" he said to Sher, "There
is nothing more that you can do".
Sher looked around. There were more than fifty
men who had surrounded him and could shoot him
at point blank range. Instead of giving up, he
started reciting the Kalima aloud once again.
Seeing that the closest to him was the CO, he
charged him and pushed him back by hitting him
on the head with his empty machine gun. Seeing
that Sher was not surrendering, and was in fact
going to attack him for the second time, the 8
Sikh regiment Commanding Officer told his men to
open fire on the militant.
The 8 Sikh regiment soldiers opened fire on
Captain Sher. Hit many times, he tried to attack
the CO for the third time, but of no avail.
Sher had always believed in not dying at the
enemy's feet. He was about five feet away from
the CO, who could see the desperate attempt Sher
was making in not to fall down. Finally, Sher
sat down, with his knees bent and touching the
ground, and his machine gun still in his hand.
The Kalima that he had been reciting so far
became lower and lower in volume until it
finally stopped. Captain Karnal Sher Khan had
died.
Some of the Sikh soldiers became ecstatic that
they had indeed made the 'intruder' recite his
final Kalima. Two of them ran to Sher Khan's
body to kick it from a sitting position into a
one where his head was touching the ground.
Seeing the intent of his men, the CO ordered
them to stop. He told them that this was a brave
man and his body should not be desecrated at any
cost. He ordered that Sher's body be brought
back to Srinagar rather than being left at Tiger
Hill. Upon finding out that Sher was a Pakistani
Captain, he made sure that Sher gets a proper
military treatment from the Indians. It was he
who wrote the citation of Captain Sher,
recommending him for the highest gallantry award
in Pakistan. The citation can be found at
Captain Sher Khan's residence in Fajounabad
Charbagh, Swabi.
The government of Pakistan awarded Captain
Karnal Sher Khan with Nishan-e-Haider, the
country's highest gallantry award.
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