Northern Light Infantry Regiment

The Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) is a light infantry regiment in the Pakistan Army, based and currently headquartered in Gilgit, Pakistan. Along with other forces of the Pakistani military, the NLI has the primary responsibility of conducting ground operations in the interest of defending the strategically-important territory of Gilgit−Baltistan, a Pakistani-controlled region that constitutes part of Kashmir, which has been disputed between Pakistan and India since 1947. The NLI draws a majority of its recruits from native tribes present in the nearby mountainous areas who are reportedly less prone to altitude sickness and the cold temperatures that characterize high-altitude mountain warfare, allowing the regiment to conduct its duties optimally.[1]

Northern Light Infantry Regiment
Regimental cap badge of the NLI.
Active1999–present (originally founded in 1913 as the Gilgit Scouts in Jammu and Kashmir, British India)
Country Pakistan
Branch Pakistan Army
TypeLight infantry
RoleMountain warfare
Size18 battalions
HeadquartersGilgit, Pakistan
Colours      
Engagements
See list
Commanders
Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah
Colonel Commandant Lt. Gen. Anwar Ali Haider
Regimental Flag

The Northern Light Infantry is best known for the extensive assistance and training it provided to the Afghan mujahideen (with backing from the CIA and ISI) during the Soviet–Afghan War.[2]

Formation

The Northern Light Infantry has its origins in the Gilgit Scouts raised by British India in 1913 for defending the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir's northern frontier. The Scouts, along with rebels in the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces, fought for Pakistan on the northern front of the First Kashmir War, conquering important points of interest such as Skardu, Kargil and Drass (the latter two were subsequently captured by the Indian Army). In 1949, the Gilgit Scouts were split into two forces, with the wing under the original name 'Gilgit Scouts' designated for internal security operations, and a second wing, named the 'Northern Scouts', designated for major external operations. In 1964, the Northern Scouts were further bifurcated with the raising of the 'Karakoram Scouts' based in Skardu. All three forces were brought together again in 1975, under the banner of the Northern Light Infantry (then a paramilitary force). Following the 1999 Kargil War with India, where the Northern Light Infantry saw extensive combat, the force was converted into a regular regiment of the Pakistan Army.[3][4][5]

A new paramilitary force was created in 2003 under the name Gilgit−Baltistan Scouts to fill the internal security role of the former Gilgit Scouts.[4]

Status and composition

Upon its founding, the Northern Light Infantry regiment was to function as a paramilitary force, at par with the Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Corps, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior and commanded by regular Pakistan Army officers. In 1967 and 1970, two battalions of the NLI were airlifted and deployed to Karachi, Sindh, for internal security duties such as riot control and aiding civil authorities during an election-related period of violence. The regiment's performance during this time earned them a commendation from Field Marshal Ayub Khan.

By 1998, the NLI consisted of 20 battalions commanded by a Major-General of the Pakistan Army under the designation of Inspector-General of the NLI, whose office was the Inspectorate-General of NLI reporting to the GOC, X Corps as well as the Pakistani Interior Minister.

Notable operations

Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989)
Further information: Soviet–Afghan War

Following the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the United States, United Kingdom, Pakistan and Israel launched Operation Cyclone, in which they financed and armed the Afghan mujahideen to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a Soviet satellite state and subsequently threaten Pakistan (a U.S. ally in the Cold War). Here, with primarily Saudi Arabian and American financing, the Northern Light Infantry trained Afghan mujahideen fighters in Gilgit−Baltistan before sending them back to Afghanistan with state-of-the-art armaments to fight the Soviet military.

Siachen Glacier Conflict (1984–2003)
Further information: Siachen Conflict

India's 1984 seizure of the Siachen Glacier (an area of Kashmir that was uninhabited and not controlled by any parties to the Kashmir conflict) resulted renewed high-level tensions with Pakistan until a mutual ceasefire agreement was brought into effect in 2003. During this period of intermittent fighting in the Siachen conflict, the NLI's 1st battalion performed defence and support work.[1][6]

Kargil War (1999)
Further information: Kargil War

In 1984, Pakistan Army was planning to capture the strategic important front of Siachen Glacier. However, India's R&AW detected it in time and subsequently, the Indian Army conducted Operation Meghdoot successfully thereby incurring heavy losses on Pakistan by capturing the Siachen Glacier terrain which proved to be an aggressive step for upcoming days. Pakistan felt humiliated and wanted to revenge and launched several failed operations suffering heavy losses.

Lastly after 15 years, In May 1999 Pakistan began operations to occupy key Indian forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC), sparking the Kargil War. Initially Pakistan Army denied any involvement in the war.[7][8] However, later on, it was reported that the Pakistan Army had launched forces exclusively from the Northern Light Infantry during this conflict. These included the 5th, 6th, 8th and 12th battalions in full strength and some elements of the 3rd, 4th, 7th and 11th battalions with the paramilitary Chitral and Bajaur Scouts, both of the Frontier Corps, deployed for logistical support.[1]

Massive Indian counterattack coupled with heavy diplomatic pressure from the United States forced Pakistan to begin a withdrawal after months of intense fighting. Pakistani casualties during this conflict, like those of other Indo−Pakistani conflicts, remain disputed and unconfirmed. International sources (such as those from the U.S. Department of Defense) place Pakistani casualties at around 700+. After 11 years, Pakistan officially reported that around 453 of its soldiers were killed during the conflict.[9] PM Nawaz Sharif and some other sources placed the Pakistani casualties figure from 2,700 to 4,000 personnel.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2004–present)
Further information: Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The regiment has been taking part in counter-insurgency operations in North-West Pakistan. On 12 June 2013, the commanding officer of the 11th NLI battalion was killed in an IED attack during a military operation in Tirah Valley.[17]

Units
  • 1st Battalion (Victors)
  • 2nd Battalion (Liberators)
  • 3rd Battalion (Mountain Warriors)[18]
  • 4th Battalion (The Hill Panthers)
  • 5th Battalion (Defenders of K2)(Proud Five)
  • 6th Battalion (Sikkis Saifullah)[19]
  • 7th Battalion[20]
  • 8th Battalion (Koh Shikan)
  • 9th Battalion (Barqdam Battalion)
  • 10th Battalion (The Snow Leopards)[21][22][23]
  • 11th Battalion (Skarchin)
  • 12th Battalion (Haideran Haideran)[24]
  • 13th Battalion (Shingos)
  • 14th Battalion (Shujan Battalion)[25][26]: 601 
  • 15th Battalion (The First)
  • 16th Battalion
  • 17th Battalion (LCB)(Al Zadeed)(Ready To Fight)[27]
  • 18th Battalion (Al Azb)

See also

References
  1. "Northern Light Infantry". Global Security. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  2. Murphy, Eamon (2013), The Making of Terrorism in Pakistan: Historical and Social Roots of Extremism, Routledge, pp. 127–, ISBN 978-0-415-56526-4
  3. Northern Light Infantry Regiment (NLI) Archived 2018-03-25 at the Wayback Machine, Pakistan Army, retrieved 25 March 2018.
  4. History of Gilgit Baltistan Scouts, Gilgit Baltistan Scouts, retrieved 6 April 2018.
  5. Snedden, Christopher (2015), Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris, Oxford University Press, p. 255, ISBN 978-1-84904-342-7
  6. "Northern Light Infantry". Pakistan Army Website. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  7. "Kargil: The forgotten victims of the world's highest war". BBC News. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2021-04-05.
  8. Kamath, P.M. (2000). "Pakistan after the Kargil Crisis : Implications for India". Indian Journal of Asian Affairs. 13 (1/2): 123–132. ISSN 0970-6402. JSTOR 41960891.
  9. "Kargil Vijay Diwas: Day to mark India's victory in 1999 conflict against Pakistan". Hindustan Times. 26 July 2011.
  10. "Over 4,000 soldiers killed in Kargil: Sharif". The Hindu. 3 October 2003. Archived from the original on 2003-10-03.
  11. Khan, M. Ilyas (2019-07-26). "The forgotten victims of the world's highest war". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
  12. Tavares, Rodrigo (2006). Understanding Regional Peace and Security. Göteborg University. p. 297. ISBN 978-9187380679. the US State Department quoted the Pakistani military casualties at 700, whereas Indian sources reported the Pakistani casualties to be 1000+. According to the then PM Nawaz Sharif (quoted in Gulf News, February 2002), the entire Northern Light Infantry of Pakistan was wiped out during the conflict claiming 2,700 lives.
  13. Chakraborty, A. K. "Kargil War Brings into Sharp Focus India's Commitment to Peace". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  14. "Breakdown of casualties into Officers, JCOs, and Other Ranks". Parliament of India Website. Archived from the original on 2 December 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  15. "Complete Roll of Honour of Indian Army's Killed in Action during Op Vijay". Indian Army. Archived from the original on 22 December 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  16. "Pak lost 2,700 men in Kargil war: Sharif". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 6 July 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  17. Shinwari, Ibrahim (13 June 2013). "Army officer killed in Tirah valley blast". Dawn. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  18. "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 16 June 2021. p. 243. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  19. "Martyrs of 2012 Gayari avalanche honoured in Siachen". Geo News. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  20. "Intercepted Pakistani radio communications confirm Wing Commander Abhinandan shot down Pak F-16". Asian News International. 5 April 2019.
  21. Hussain, Naveed. "Untold tales from the battlefront". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 December 2022. The 10th Northern Light Infantry is tasked
  22. "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 1 January 2020. p. 1. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  23. "In the news: Pakistan: India's Modi greets PM on Pakistan Day". Pakistan & Gulf Economist. 27 March 2017.
  24. Tariq, Sardar Muhammad; Raja, Asif Jehangir. "Spirits Rekindled – Joint Staff Pakistan Day Parade - 2015". Hilal: The Pakistan Armed Forces Magazine. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  25. Iqbal, M. Javed. "Long Live Pakistan: Joint Services Pakistan Day Parade 23rd March 2019". Hilal: The Pakistan Armed Forces Magazine. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  26. "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 16 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  27. "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 27 January 2021. p. 21. Retrieved 13 December 2022.

Further reading
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