Kargil is located at the confluence of multiple river valleys: • the
Suru River valley to the north and south, • the
Wakha Rong valley to the southeast leading to
Leh, and • the Sod Valley to the east leading to the Indus Valley near
Batalik. In addition, at a short distance to the north, the
Dras River valley branches off from the Suru valley leading to the
Zoji La pass in the west and
Kashmir Valley beyond. Further north along the Suru valley, one reaches the Indus valley, leading to Skardu. Thus, Kargil is located at a key junction of routes between Kashmir, Ladakh and
Baltistan. The normal trade route between Leh and Skardu also ran via Kargil, using the Wakha Rong and Suru valleys. Even though both the towns are on the bank of the Indus River, the latter's narrow gorge between
Marol and
Dah was not easily traversable prior to the modern period. After the
Partition of India and the
First Kashmir War, Baltistan came under the control of Pakistan. The
Line of Control (LoC) with
Pakistan-administered Kashmir is roughly to the north of Kargil. The peak known as Point 13620, which overlooks the Kargil town and the
Srinagar–Leh Highway, remained in Pakistani control at the end of this conflict. During the
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, Indian forces pushed the Line of Control north of the ridgeline, ensuring Kargil's security. A key village called
Hunderman came under Indian control as a result of this push. ==History==