Anatolia's camera spotted military life in the Siachen region, which is surrounded by mountain peaks more than 8,000 meters high, called "the highest battlefield in the world", and was the field of the Pakistan-India war between 1984 and 2003.
The region consists of mountains completely covered with ice and snow in the border triangle between Pakistan, India and China, and is covered with Siachen ice, which extends as a single piece of seventy kilometers, is the third in the world after the poles in terms of heavy ice;
In addition to the Siachen ice, the area also includes a 62 square kilometer Baltoro ice. It is an icy area surrounded by seven peaks among the top 25 peaks in the world, and therefore attracts mountaineering enthusiasts and nature walks.
Pakistan and India claim their right to the area, as it is an extension of the disputed Kashmir region, a war erupted in what is described as the roof of the world and resulted in India controlling two-thirds of the Siachen region, while Pakistan completely controlled the Baltoro glacier.
Following the Siachen war, Pakistan took control of several summits, and from that day onwards the two countries have been strengthening their military presence in the areas they control and establishing military points.
| Siachen, which was the yard of Pakistan and India in 1984 (Anatolia) |
Life details
Helicopters fly over the valleys of their ice-covered ground, surrounded by mountains of thousands of meters. The Pakistani-controlled peaks and army outposts are about half an hour flying from the area, and include dozens of outposts at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,000 meters.
| Soldiers walk in a row, all tied to a rope to save the fallen ones (Anatolia) |
Soldiers working in the outposts and checkpoints travel for five hours by car from Skredo to the last village on the road to the Siachen and Baltoro glacier, from where they complete their journey on foot.
Soldiers climb up to 6,000-meter-high outposts over a month to get used to the different levels of oxygen, where they spend one to five days at outposts at different altitudes to prepare their bodies for the climate.
The soldiers walk in a row, all tied to a rope, so that if one of them falls, the rest can catch him.
| Helicopters play a key role in transporting soldiers and needs (Anatolia) |
The outposts consist of buildings for two people that resemble the ice houses of the Eskimo people. Each outpost has hundreds of oxygen cylinders. The outposts are powered by solar panels and water is obtained from melting snow.
| Outpost accommodates only 2 people (Anatolia) |
Soldiers working in the area and visitors are also advised to drink at least 15 cups of water to avoid headaches, body aches, freezing from the cold and lung problems, and soldiers undergo intensive medical examinations before being sent to the area.
| Soldiers in the Siachen region spend about two years traveling between several different Anatolia outposts. |
Soldiers in the Siachen area spend about two years traveling between several different outposts. The Pakistani army provides soldiers working in the area with military missions suitable for environmental conditions, and the needs are delivered to them weekly by dropping them from helicopters.
According to information from Pakistani military officials accompanying the Anatolian delegation, about 70% of the soldiers who have died in the area since 1984 have died due to weather and environmental conditions.