Point 5203, situated at a height of about 16,000 feet on the north-western slopes of the Batalik Sector was a strategic peak, which the Pakistanis had captured and from this position they were effectively repulsing all the attacks made by the Indian Army. Neutralizing this advantage was first on the priority list of the Indian Army. The Pakistanis were well-entrenched at that point and had made a number of field fortifications. The infiltrators had covered most of the approaches by heavy artillery, hence, the Indian troops, were unable to get an advantageous position to attack this point.
Captain Amol Kalia and his team of thirteen brave men started their mission in the dead of the night and reached the foothill of the ice capped mountain before daybreak. The slopes of the peak were barren and covered with snow. There was not even a blade of grass to give them any cover. Captain Amol Kalia decided to launch the attack in the cover of night. They waited at the foothill, right under the nose of the enemies for the full day.
When the night was dark enough to cover their move, they carefully climbed the difficult peak employing specialized mountaineering techniques and before the enemy could realize, they launched an attack on the enemies bunkers. Twenty five Pakistani soldiers were holed in that bunker and were well equipped with heavy armory. The infiltrators were well entrenched while the Indian soldiers were out in the open. This however didn't deter the strong willpower of Captain Amol Kalia and his men. The brave men kept on pounding the enemy bunkers incessantly till they could breach their defenses and inflict causalities inside the Bunker. The Pakistani soldiers suffered the heaviest causalities that day. Their were casualties on the Indian side also, but nothing could stop Captain Amol Kalia and his brave men. They continued the attack and kept on closing towards the bunker.
Captain Amol Kalia and one of his jawan started closing in on the bunker to inflict the last blow while his remaining men gave him cover fire. They were very close to the bunker when the jawan carrying the light machine gun(LMG) was hit by the enemy bullet. Captain Amol Kalia picked up the LMG of his fallen jawan and with the war-cry of his battalion on his lips, he ran towards the bunker and jumped inside the bunker. He killed the last five surviving infiltrators and cleared the peak from the enemy occupation.
25 Pakistani soldiers were killed before the 14 Indian troops from the laid down their lives to capture a key peak - , after seven hours of intense fighting. But in the attack, Captain Amol Kalia was mortally wounded. He succumbed to his injuries at the battle field itself but not before unfurling the Indian National Flag on the Peak 5203.
In this operation, Captain Amol Kalia along with 13 other ranks made the supreme sacrifice in the highest traditions of the Indian Army. But for the selfless devotion to duty marked with exemplary courage displayed by these gallant soldiers, the recapture of this vital position would not have been possible. For his bravery, Capt Amol Kalia was decorated with the Vir Chakra by the President of India.
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