Amid tension in Ladakh LAC, IAF dispatched Su-30, Army says no build-up

The area under Indian control is manned by an infantry battalion, but additional troops remain on alert for any contingencies.

A week after the Indian and Chinese troops. came to blows in a disputed area near Pangong Tso, a lake in eastern Ladakh, and IAF fighters went on the air, tensions remain high in the region. Troops on both sides of the Current Control Line (ALC) have been on high alert, although there has been a “retreat” after the incident on 5-6 May at night near an area known as Finger 5 on the north bank of Pangong Tso.

The area under Indian control is manned by an infantry battalion, but additional troops remain on alert for any contingencies. The Chinese, the sources said, also increased their strength in the area once tensions increased in late April.

The Indian army, for its part, has clarified that there is no accumulation of troops in the area. Professional Army Colonel Aman Anand said Tuesday: “There is no continuous confrontation at Pangong Tso. There is no accumulation of armed troops in the area. “

LAC crosses Pangong Tso, with the 45 km long western portion of the lake under Indian control and the rest under Chinese control. It is in the way of the Chushul approach: in the Indian assessment, it is one of the main approaches that China can probably use during any offensive.

The mountains on the north shore of the lake jut out in great spurs, which the Army calls “fingers.” India claims that LAC is co-terminal with Finger 8, but physically controls the area only up to Finger 4.

The Chinese border posts are on Finger 8, while the Indian border posts are near Finger 3. The Chinese claim that LAC passes through Finger 2. The area between the two different perceptions is the disputed territory that both armies they try to dominate through regular patrols. . The sources said that “no Chinese soldier is in Indian territory in the area according to our perception of LAC.”

In a statement, the Army said “incidents of confrontation and aggressive behavior occur in LAC. Patrols are disconnected after interaction and dialogue at the local level. Temporary and short-term confrontations occur when the limit is not resolved Troops resolve such incidents mutually according to established protocols. “

The situation on the ground in the Pangong Tso area, the sources said, had been brewing for more than two months when the EPL began to object to the movement of the Indian patrols until Finger 8.

PLA troops even attempted to physically stop Indian patrols beyond Finger 2. For the Indian side, Finger 1 acts as a bottleneck and patrol on foot beyond that point.

The Chinese they generally patrol on a road that is manageable in two or three light vehicles. This 5 km road within Indian Territory along the lake shore was built by China during the Kargil War in 1999, when India was fighting against Pakistani intruders in the Kargil-Dras-Batalik region.

After the Chinese attempted to restrict the Indian patrols, the Indians responded by asserting their claim with the PLA patrols, causing tensions between the two sides.

About six years ago, the Chinese had similarly attempted to undertake construction on Finger 4, which was stopped by the Indians. The Chinese finally left the area, but on August 15, 2017, this area witnessed punches and stone throws between Indian and Chinese patrols; At that time, the two armies were locked in a tense confrontation in Doklam.
On the night of May 5 to 6, as reported by The Indian Express, there was a physical fight between the soldiers of the two armies. At least two high-ranking officers in the Indian army were among dozens wounded in assaults by Chinese troops with bats, spiked batons, and metal bars. Indian soldiers retaliated, leaving many Chinese soldiers injured.

Before this incident, an Indian Army helicopter carrying a high-ranking officer approached two Chinese military helicopters in the area. The sources said that the Chinese helicopters dangerously approached the Indian helicopter and that the Chinese personnel on board made aggressive gestures.

Following the incident, two IAF Su-30MKIs from Leh Air Base were also airborne in the area. IAF sources maintained that there was no airspace violation by either side, and conducted routine training flying in the area on May 5.

According to the existing agreement between India and China, no combat aircraft can reach less than 10 km from LAC without notice to either side. For helicopters, the distance to be maintained from ALC is 1 km.

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