Kargil district

Kargil district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir-region, which is administered as a union territory of Ladakh. It is named after the city of Kargil, where the district headquarters lies. The district is bounded by the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to the west, the Pakistani-administered administrative territory of Gilgit–Baltistan to the north, Leh district of Ladakh to the east, and the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south. Encompassing the historical region known as Purig, the district lies to the northeast of the Great Himalayas and encompasses part of the Zanskar Range. Its population inhabits the river valleys of Suru, Wakha Rong (not to be confused with the Rong Valley in Leh district), and Sod Valley. Kargil district was originally created in 1979, when Ladakh was part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In 2003, Kargil was granted a Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). In 2019, Ladakh became a union territory, with Kargil and Leh being its joint capitals. In 2024, the Drass and Zanskar districts were announced to be separated from Kargil district. Shia Muslims comprise the majority of the population of the district.