Sia La
Encyclopedia
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
situated on Saltoro Ridge, some 60 km (37.3 mi) north-northwest of map point NJ 980420
NJ9842
NJ9842, is the northernmost demarcated point of the Indo-Pak cease fire line known as the Line of Control.The line was formally accepted as a cease fire line by the prime ministers of India, Indira Gandhi and prime minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as per the Shimla Agreement signed on July...
which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
as part of the Simla Agreement. Sia La sits near the China border and immediately northwest of the upper part of the vast Siachen Glacier
Siachen Glacier
The Siachen Glacier is located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalaya Mountains at about , just east of the Line of Control between India-Pakistan. India controls all of the Siachen Glacier itself, including all tributary glaciers. At long, it is the longest glacier in the Karakoram and...
.
Geopolitical issues
Sia La, as well as nearby passes Bilafond LaBilafond La
Bilafond La , also known as the Saltoro Pass, is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between Pakistan and India as part of the Simla...
and Gyong La
Gyong La
Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge, sitting southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier, some directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan...
, saw military action starting in 1984 during Operation Meghdoot
Operation Meghdoot
Operation Meghdoot was the name given to the attack launched by the Indian Military to capture the Siachen Glacier in the disputed Kashmir region, precipitating the Siachen Conflict. Launched on 13 April 1984, this military operation was unique as the first assault launched in the world's highest...
, the first military action of the Siachen conflict
Siachen conflict
The Siachen Conflict, sometimes referred to as the Siachen War, is a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. The conflict began in 1984 with India's successful Operation Meghdoot during which it wrested control of the Siachen Glacier from...
, itself being part of larger conflict, the Kashmir conflict
Kashmir conflict
The Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwesternmost region of South Asia....
. All three passes are currently held by India; Pakistan controls areas just to the west.