New Delhi [India], April 13 (ANI): As Operation Meghdoot completed 42 years on Monday, the Indian Air Force paid tribute to bravehearts who have sacrificed their lives in defending the world's highest battlefield, Siachen in Ladakh.

April 13 is marked as Siachen Day, as Operation Meghdoot was launched on this day in 1984, when the Indian Army and Indian Air Force advanced to the Siachen glacier to secure the heights dominating the Northern Ladakh region.

'On this Siachen Day, IAF salutes the indomitable courage, unwavering commitment and supreme sacrifice of our brave warriors defending the world's highest battlefield. As Operation Meghdoot completes 42 years, we honour the legacy of valour, endurance and operational excellence in the harshest of terrains and weather conditions. From strategic airlift and logistics support, to casualty evacuation in extreme high-altitude conditions, the IAF continues to sustain operational readiness in the Siachen sector,' IAF posted on X.

Paying a tribute to the forces guarding Siachen, the Indian Army Northern Command posted, 'On the occasion of Siachen Day, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Cdr NC, and all ranks of Northern Command honour the unwavering courage and commitment of every #Braveheart who is steadfastly guarding the icy heights. We also remember and pay homage to the valiant souls who laid down their lives on the world's highest battlefield.'

According to the Defence Ministry, Operation Meghdoot involved the airlifting of Indian Army soldiers by the IAF and dropping them on the glacial peaks. Although the operation began in 1984, IAF helicopters had been operating in the Siachen Glacier since 1978, flying the Chetak helicopters, which were the first IAF helicopters to land on the Glacier in October 1978.

By 1984, Pakistan's cartographic aggression in the uncharted territory of Ladakh, allowing foreign mountaineering expeditions in Siachen, was becoming a cause of concern. Having received intelligence inputs about an impending Pakistani military action in the area, India decided to thwart Pakistan's efforts to legitimise its claim on Siachen.

According to the MoD press release, the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot, in which, IAF's tactical and strategic airlifters, An-12s, An-32s and IL-76s transported stores and troops and air-dropped supplies to high altitude airfields, from where Mi-17, Mi-8, Chetak and Cheetah helicopters ferried men and material to dizzying heights on the glacier, far above the limits set by the helicopter manufacturers. About 300-odd troops were positioned on the strategically important peaks and passes of the glacier. (ANI)