Operation Chumak stands as one of the most extraordinary military operations in the history of warfare. Conducted in the Skardu Sector during April and May of 1989, it established a benchmark not only for Pakistan's armed forces but for militaries around the world. The operation introduced groundbreaking techniques for conducting high altitude missions and demonstrated that human endurance, resourcefulness, and determination know no bounds.
Background and Early Intelligence
The chain of events that led to Operation Chumak began in February 1989, when early intelligence suggested suspicious activity in the area. On 22 February 1989, Indian helicopters conducted aerial reconnaissance over the region, followed by artillery strikes against several posts in the days that followed. Higher headquarters, sensing that something was amiss, immediately placed troops on heightened alert.
By early April 1989, intercepted communications, including reports of awards being granted to members of an Indian expedition force, further solidified suspicions of hostile intent in the area. The situation came to a head on 15 April 1989, when signal intercepts confirmed that enemy forces were planning to occupy the highest commanding feature in the Chumak area, overlooking the Chumak Glacier.
Initial Plan and Early Expeditions
Captain Kamran (later Lt Col.) - Chumuk Camp side - Operation Chumak
On 17 April 1989, the Commanding Officer of 9 AK made a pivotal decision. Troops would be inserted onto the saddle by helicopter while a ground route would be simultaneously explored. This proved to be an inspired choice, as no viable ground approach to Kamran Top existed from the Pakistani side.
The first expedition, known as Kausar Force and led by Captain Kausar alongside Captain Kamran, was tasked with approaching the saddle from the left. The team successfully established intermediate positions K-1 and K-2, but was ultimately halted by a technically demanding climb and wide crevasses that blocked further progress. A second expedition, under the command of Captain Javed, managed to establish a base camp near the saddle by 22 April. By 25 April, the leading elements of this team were within reach of the saddle, but tragedy struck. While the men rested in their tents, satisfied with their progress, a massive avalanche swept through the camp, burying Captain Javed Akhtar and two other officers beneath tons of snow. The expedition was finished.
Separately, Captain Tariq's platoon was dispatched to establish a ground link with Kamran Top. Advancing cautiously along a razor-edged ridgeline, his team made steady progress, establishing Positions T-I, T-II, and T-III, the last of which lay approximately 3,000 yards below the enemy post, by 1 May 1989.
Insertion onto Naveed Ridge
Captain Kamran (later Lt Col.) - Karman Top Point 22158 - Operation Chumak
On 19 April 1989, a helicopter piloted by Captain Sehgal and Captain Zia inserted Lieutenant Naveed and Naik Yaqub onto the ridge. Poor weather set in shortly after, cutting off all contact with the two soldiers. Three supply drops were made to sustain them during this isolation.
Establishment of Kamran Top
On 21 April, Commander Asif Bukhari tasked Captain Kamran with reaching Naveed's position, establishing communication, and reinforcing the post. Captain Kamran was lifted by helicopter the same day.
During the flight, a poorly secured load caused him to somersault in the air. His pack fell away, and his gloves were torn off by the wind. For nearly fourteen minutes, he hung upside down before the helicopter reached the landing point. He touched down under enemy small arms fire. When an Indian helicopter appeared, Captain Kamran seized a weapon from Naik Yaqoob and the enemy was driven back.
Captain Kamran (later Lt Col.) - Operation Chumak
Recognising that Naveed's position was not the highest ground, and that a more dominant feature lay some 700 to 800 meters away, Captain Kamran requested that additional troops be deployed there. When it became clear that helicopter insertion was not possible at that location, he took four men, Naik Aslam, Sepoy Said Jan, Naik Munir, and Sepoy Jawed, and began climbing toward the summit under sustained enemy small arms fire. The route was treacherous. On one side lay a sheer drop of 3,000 to 4,000 feet. On the other hand, an ice slope is angled at 70 to 80 degrees. The team advanced using fire and movement, pitching ropes as they climbed. At one point, Captain Kamran lost his footing and fell, hanging in the air until the rope held him. He struggled back up and pressed on. During the move, when the sector Commander asked about the progress of the operation, Capt Kamran replied with Quranic verses.
نَصْرٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَفَتْحٌ قَرِيبٌ
(اللہ کی طرف سے مدد اور جلد آنے والی فتح)
They reached the summit, standing at 22,158 feet, to find Indian soldiers advancing toward the very same peak from the opposite side, no more than 300 to 400 meters away. Captain Kamran and his men engaged them immediately, killing two and forcing the rest to withdraw. The enemy had established a position just below the summit, and with no grenades available, the team dislodged a rock, four to five feet in diameter, onto the enemy base. By approximately 1600 hours, Captain Kamran had set up an LMG, posted a sentry, and secured a commanding position over the entire surrounding area, including all enemy posts. This feature would be named Kamran Top. Now, as a success signal, Captain Kamran made a transmission with a Quranic verse.
وَقُلْ جَاءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ ۚ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
(اور کہہ دو حق آ گیا اور باطل مٹ گیا، بے شک باطل مٹنے ہی والا تھا)
Captain Kamran then heard distress calls from Naveed's position. He rushed over and found Lieutenant Naveed and Naik Yaqoob in critical condition. He administered oxygen, medicines, water, and food, set up a new tent for them, and ensured their comfort before returning to Kamran Top. Throughout the night, enemy artillery and mortar fire continued from multiple positions. On 22 April, the Sitara-e-Jurat was awarded to Captain Kamran, Lieutenant Naveed, Captain Raheel, the pilot, and Naik Yaqub.
On 25 April, Forward Observation Officer Captain Zafar arrived by helicopter, bringing the number of personnel on Kamran Top to six. Captain Kamran identified enemy positions for Captain Zafar, who engaged them with effective artillery fire. One strike triggered an avalanche that destroyed an enemy base camp.
The Raid
Operation Chumak
By 29 April, the garrison at Kamran Top had grown to eleven men. Brigade Major Bilal arrived the same day as the twelfth member of the team. After a joint reconnaissance with Captain Kamran confirmed the precise location of the enemy, both officers agreed that the time had come to launch a raid. Captain Kamran requested additional troops from Naveed's post to hold Kamran Top during the operation. He gave strict instructions that no information about the planned raid was to be passed over the radio, both to preserve surprise and to prevent the plan from being intercepted by the enemy. The raiding party comprised four officers, four NCOs, and four soldiers.
The party departed at approximately 1700 hours. Before leaving, Captain Kamran asked each man to write his name, parentage, and home address on a piece of paper, to be used for identification if they did not return. He told his men he was wearing a chain bearing Ayatul Kursi, and that if the worst happened, it would identify his body. Together they recited Surah Yaseen and offered prayers. Captain Kamran invoked the memory of the Battle of Badr, the first battle fought by the early Muslims in the month of Ramadan, drawing a parallel between that sacred moment and their own mission, undertaken at the highest altitude and also in the month of Ramadan. By seniority, he asked Major Bilal to command the raid.
The approach route was extremely hazardous. The Indian side offered a vertical drop while their own side presented a 70 to 80 degree ice slope as smooth as glass. Then, unexpectedly, a blizzard rolled in, providing natural concealment while fresh snowfall gave the team's crampons a degree of grip they had not previously had. No pitons were used, as the noise of driving them into the ice would have compromised surprise. The party advanced in single file until they were within 25 to 30 yards of the enemy position, where they identified a sandbagged dugout.
Major Bilal called out to the enemy, demanding their surrender and informing them they were surrounded. The enemy responded with a rocket launcher, LMG, and small arms fire, supported by depth positions. The Pakistani force returned fire. The LMG jammed in the extreme cold, but Captain Kamran directed Sepoy Said Jan to manually chamber a single round, which warmed the weapon enough to resume fire. Captain Kamran then ordered Sepoy Ashraf, a young soldier of exceptional courage, to engage the enemy post with rockets. Sepoy Ashraf fired two rockets, then seized a submachine gun and continued firing. He was struck in the chest and was martyred on the spot. His bravery was without equal.
The team engaged the enemy at point-blank range. Four enemy soldiers were killed. One Indian soldier broke from his position and fled. Major Bilal ordered that he not be fired upon, reasoning that his flight would spread fear among the surviving enemy. As ammunition ran critically low, Captain Kamran dispatched four men back to Kamran Top to retrieve more. He sent Captain Zafar to call in artillery support and Major Bilal, along with one soldier, to communicate the situation to the commander. Captain Kamran was left with Captain Rafaqat, Havaldar Farid, and the body of Sepoy Ashraf Shaheed. As they attempted to recover his body, it slipped down the slope toward their own side and was never recovered.
Observing 10 to 15 Indian soldiers moving in from the enemy direction, Captain Kamran concluded a counterattack was imminent. His remaining men had almost no ammunition, one magazine and 50 rounds for an LMG. He briefed his men on calling in SOS artillery fire, knowing it would fall dangerously close to their own position. He offered each man the option to withdraw. Every single one chose to stay. They told their captain that wherever he would shed his blood, they would lay down their lives alongside him. Captain Kamran called out the Azan at each of the four corners around his men, and they recited the Quranic verse.
يَا نَارُ كُونِي بَرْدًا وَسَلَامًا عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
(ہم نے فرمایا اے آگ! ٹھنڈی ہو جا اور ابراہیم پر سلامتی والی ہو جا)
It was later established that the enemy had fired approximately 4,000 to 5,000 artillery rounds at Kamran Top during this period. Remarkably, not a single man was lost.
Captain Kamran (later Lt Col.) - Sitara-e-Jurrat ceremony - Operation Chumak
Aftermath
An intercepted enemy message captured the situation from the other side. The Indian force reported that it was under fire, that they were cutting ropes and withdrawing, and that one officer and three other ranks had been killed.
By 4 May, no further significant enemy activity had been recorded. Captain Kamran and his men celebrated Eid al-Fitr on Kamran Top, a celebration they would later recall as one of the most profound of their lives.
