<P> Two months into the conflict, Indian troops had slowly retaken most of the ridges that were encroached by the infiltrators; according to the official count, an estimated 75%--80% of the intruded area and nearly all the high ground were back under Indian control . </P> <P> Following the outbreak of armed fighting, Pakistan sought American help in de-escalating the conflict . Bruce Riedel, who was then an aide to President Bill Clinton, reported that US intelligence had imaged Pakistani movements of nuclear weapons to forward deployments for fear of the Kargil hostilities escalating into a wider conflict . However, President Clinton refused to intervene until Pakistan had removed all forces from the Indian side of the Line of Control . Following the Washington accord of 4 July 1999, when Sharif agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops, most of the fighting came to a gradual halt, but some Pakistani forces remained in positions on the Indian side of the LOC . In addition, the United Jihad Council (an umbrella for extremist groups) rejected Pakistan's plan for a climb - down, instead deciding to fight on . </P> <P> The Indian army launched its final attacks in the last week of July; as soon as the Drass subsector had been cleared of Pakistani forces, the fighting ceased on 26 July . The day has since been marked as Kargil Vijay Diwas (Kargil Victory Day) in India . By the end of the war, Pakistan had to withdraw under international pressure and due to pressure from continued fighting at battle front and left India in control of all territory south and east of the Line of Control, as was established in July 1972 as per the Simla Agreement . </P> <P> Pakistan was criticised by other countries for instigating the war, as its paramilitary forces and insurgents crossed the Line of Control . Pakistan's primary diplomatic response, one of plausible deniability linking the incursion to what it officially termed as "Kashmiri freedom fighters", was in the end not successful . Veteran analysts argued that the battle was fought at heights where only seasoned troops could survive, so poorly equipped "freedom fighters" would neither have the ability nor the wherewithal to seize land and defend it . Moreover, while the army had initially denied the involvement of its troops in the intrusion, two soldiers were awarded the Nishan - E-Haider (Pakistan's highest military honour). Another 90 soldiers were also given gallantry awards, most of them posthumously, confirming Pakistan's role in the episode . India also released taped phone conversations between the Army Chief and a senior Pakistani general where the latter is recorded saying: "the scruff of (the militants) necks is in our hands", although Pakistan dismissed it as a "total fabrication". Concurrently, Pakistan made several contradicting statements, confirming its role in Kargil, when it defended the incursions saying that the LOC itself was disputed . Pakistan also attempted to internationalise the Kashmir issue, by linking the crisis in Kargil to the larger Kashmir conflict but, such a diplomatic stance found few backers on the world stage . </P>

Who won the kargil war between india and pakistan