Army sources said it is a defensive action in response to Chinese aggression. (Figurative)
Highlight
- Since May, Chinese forces have conducted incursions into 6 areas throughout LAC
- In the clashes in Galwan, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action in June.
- Senior Officials Say Army Occupation Of Key Sites Is A Defensive Measure
New Delhi:
The Indian army, which now controls multiple key ridges on the southern shore of Pangong Lake, has effective military control of the entire disputed area of the region.
Sources have told NDTV that the army is positioned in a way that ensures that the entire disputed area, down to India’s perception of the Royal Line of Control in the region, can be defended. Senior officials say that the army’s occupation of these key heights is an entirely defensive move, made to counter a Chinese build-up with tanks and troops from its LAC side in the area.
This was done on the night of August 29 and August 30 in contravention of the confidence-building measures that both sides have devised during recent military talks in East Ladakh, where major military movements are not supposed to be brought together. out at night.
By mastering the heights, Indian Army soldiers also monitor the crucial Spanggur Gap, a key passage in the area through which troop movement can take place. China has also built an asphalt road on the southern shore of neighboring Spanggur Lake, through which heavy vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, can enter. By mastering the heights in this area, the Indian Army can see the movement of these vehicles.
There has been no progress in brigadier-level talks in the regions to mitigate the situation. A second round of talks is currently taking place in the Chushul area.
In a forcefully worded statement this morning, the harshest yet, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said: “ India’s move has seriously violated China’s territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements and protocols, and important consensus reached between the two countries. ” The statement also says that India’s military movements have “seriously damaged the peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas.”
The southern shore of Lake Pangong witnessed fierce fighting between the People’s Liberation Army of India and China in the 1962 war. The accumulation of Indians in the area is meant to defend Indian territory in the key Chushul Valley in the region. .
Since the beginning of May, Chinese forces have raided six areas along the disputed Royal Line of Control in eastern Ladakh. In the clashes in Galwan, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action, although a buffer zone between the forces has since been created.
In other areas, including the north shore of Lake Pangong, there has been no substantial military disconnect despite several rounds of military and diplomatic talks.
Senior officials have told NDTV that by attempting to open a new front on the southern shore of Lake Pangong, in an area that has traditionally been heavily defended by the Indian military, Chinese forces intend to unilaterally change the status of the Line. from Actual Control, a worrying sign that New Delhi feels it has to respond to proactively.
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