When the Kargil conflict erupted in May 1999, it was clear that this was beyond an ordinary skirmish or ceasefire violation between the two nuclear-powered neighbours. Pakistani troops and terrorists had occupied peaks and ridgelines overlooking the strategic National Highway 1A, threatening to cut off Ladakh. As the infantry struggled to dislodge the well-entrenched enemy in this treacherous high-altitude terrain, the Indian Army turned to its most elite units for special assignments. 9 Para (SF) was one of them. And who better than Major Sudhir Walia, the Rambo of the Indian Army, to accomplish this task!
Then-Captain Walia, freshly back from a stint with RAW’s clandestine unit, was thrust into action in the Batalik sub-sector. He knew the terrain, understood guerrilla warfare, and more importantly, had the mental toughness to operate for days in sub-zero temperatures with minimal support.
His role was legendary within the Indian Army’s Special Forces fraternity. While many of his operations remain under wraps due to their covert nature, what has surfaced paints the picture of a man who turned the tide of war from behind enemy lines. His contributions in Batalik, one of the most fiercely contested sectors, were marked by stealth and surgical precision.
Mission: Deep Reconnaissance and Target Elimination
Walia’s primary role was to lead long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs), small, mobile teams sent deep into enemy territory to gather intelligence and relay enemy positions. But Walia didn’t stop at recon, he actively engaged enemy bunkers, destroyed supply lines, and ambushed retreating militants in vertical cliffs and narrow passes where even foot movement was treacherous.
One mission in particular, reportedly conducted near the Munthodalo Ridge, involved infiltrating an area crawling with enemy snipers and scouts. Walia and his team scaled a 17,000-ft ridge over two nights, with no support, to reach a vantage point. From there, he called in artillery fire and coordinated precision strikes on Pakistani positions, causing big disruptions to enemy logistics.
In another undocumented raid, it is believed he led an assault to neutralise a Pakistani mortar position that was wreaking havoc on Indian infantry units in the Yaldor sector. Crawling through snow and scree, often just metres from enemy sentries, he personally took out the mortar nest, allowing Indian troops to advance.
Method to Madness: Operating Without Sleep
Walia’s time in Kargil wasn’t measured in days or nights. It was a blur of movement, gunfire, and mission after mission. His men later recalled that he would often go without sleep for 72 hours, sustained only by tea, dry rations, and sheer willpower. He rarely radioed for extraction and often chose to hike back from enemy positions, even after firefights, to avoid giving away his team’s location.
Despite the fatigue and injuries he carried, Walia remained calm, composed, and sharp. He had a method to his madness. He studied enemy movement patterns, anticipated counterattacks, and always kept an exfiltration plan ready for his men. Many junior officers later said that if they had to bet their lives on someone leading them through hell and back, it would be Walia.
Decorated, But Never Distracted
During Kargil, Walia was awarded a Bar to his Sena Medal, making him one of the few officers to have received it twice. The citation noted “extraordinary leadership, bravery and gallantry under sustained enemy fire” and recognised his role in “critical successes” that were pivotal to India reclaiming the Batalik heights.
But even after this recognition, Walia stayed focused on fieldwork. He refused a staff posting and voluntarily returned to counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, saying simply: “The job is not done yet.”
Why His Kargil Actions Mattered
Most infantry operations during the Kargil War were uphill, frontal assaults. These missions were bloody, high-casualty affairs against fortified positions. But Walia and the 9 Para SF bypassed conventional logic. Their missions were quiet, deadly, and often unseen by the media or official photographers. But they pinpointed enemy supply chains and communication nodes, allowing Indian artillery to cut them off.
- Their missions also disrupted enemy troop movements at night, forcing Pakistan to thin out defences. They cleared high-value ridgelines that served as artillery spotting positions. All this while salvaging morale and showing troops that the enemy was not invincible.
His work helped soften enemy defences before infantry units moved in. In some cases, the Special Forces under Walia had already completed the objective before others arrived.
In the Words of His Brothers-in-Arms
Major Sudhir Kumar Walia, one of the most decorated officers of the Indian Army’s 9 Para Special Forces, earned the nickname “Rambo” for his unmatched courage, endurance, and battlefield prowess. Known for undertaking some of the toughest missions during the Kargil War, he operated deep behind enemy lines, carrying out reconnaissance, sabotage, and target elimination in the Batalik sector. His ability to survive in hostile terrain for days without sleep, often with minimal supplies, set him apart to his peers too.
Fluent in Pashto and Dari, he had earlier served on deputation with RAW, where he was involved in clandestine cross-border operations. A year later, during a counter-insurgency mission in Kupwara, Walia was fatally wounded while killing four terrorists and saving his team. He was posthumously awarded the Ashoka Chakra for his bravery. Nicknamed “Rambo” not for theatrics but for sheer combat skill and fearlessness, Major Walia remains a legend in the Indian Army. He was a soldier who led from the front and never asked for recognition. Fellow commandos often described Walia as someone who would “go where others won’t, do what others can’t.” One senior officer is known to have said:
“In Batalik, we sent in Sudhir when we needed something impossible done silently. And it got done.”
A Shadow Among Peaks
The Kargil War had its share of heroes, infantrymen, gunners, and aviators, but Major Sudhir Kumar Walia belonged to a different tribe. He operated in shadows, often with just a handful of men, in some of the highest and most dangerous altitudes on Earth. And every time he went in, he brought his team back. This was until his final battle in Kupwara, a year later.
Kargil was a war of attrition for many. For Walia, it was a test of precision, nerves, and unbreakable resolve. It was a test he passed every time he crossed the line of control with only silence and snow as witnesses.
