President, PM pay tributes to 1965 war martyrs

President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday laid a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to pay tribute to the soldiers as India marked the 50th year of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid his respects to the soldiers who fought the 1965 war.

"As we mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 war, I bow to all brave soldiers who fought for our motherland in the war," Modi said in a tweet.

"The courage and bravery of our armed forces is very inspiring. They triumphed over every obstacle and protected India's unity and integrity," he said.

"We recall the dynamic leadership of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri. In 1965, he led from the front and was a key source of strength for the nation," the prime minister added.

India is commemorating the golden jubilee of the war at a grand scale, with a slew of events planned for the occasion.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers, sailors and airmen were martyred in the war, which lasted 17 days.

The commemoration began on Friday to mark the day the Indian Army captured the Haji Pir Pass.

A tri-service seminar will be held on September 1-2, with a commemorative exhibition slated from September 15-20 in the national capital.