The armies of both countries are gazing up at the heights on the southern shore of Pangong Tso Lake, which sits at an altitude of 14,000 feet.
Given the level of mistrust between the Indian and Chinese armies, both are trying to capture the dominant heights in areas claimed by both nations.
- News18.com New Delhi
- Last update: September 1, 2020 11:32 PM IST
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While the armies of India and China are still in the process of trying to resolve tensions in the Royal Line of Control (LAC) through dialogue, Chinese forces on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 reportedly attempted to transgress in the Indian side in a bid to capture the dominant heights on the south bank of the Pangong Tso.
Since 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15, many rounds of talks have been held at the level of brigade commanders to resolve the dispute between the two countries. However, the latest attempt by Chinese forces to open a new front has caused new tension in eastern Ladakh.
The Foreign Ministry (MEA) said on Tuesday that the Chinese military “participated in a provocative action” on August 31, even as commanders from both sides were involved in discussions to reduce the situation on the southern shore of Lake Pangong. .
To understand why the latest entry of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into Indian territory has generated fears of a military escalation in LAC, we can try to locate the place of the last confrontation between the two forces. Given the level of mistrust between the two armies, both are trying to capture the dominant heights in areas claimed by both countries. This intention is likely to have triggered the confrontation on the night of August 29-30.
Sources said the latest incident occurred near the Indian army’s forward base at Thakung, which is quite close to the Chinese Yula camp, near which the PLA has stationed its heavy and light tanks. Thakung is located near the bottom of the ‘V’ at the southern end of Pangong Tso. Previous clashes between the two forces that occurred in the Gogra and Depsang areas are on the north side of the lake.
According to various reports, the Indian army has a relatively minor presence in the north, where it has only been conducting patrol duties. In the south, where both the Army and the ITBP have a strong presence, the PLA could not have any success. Some 200 PLA soldiers are said to have been detected by radar and night vision equipment as they tried to set up camps and go further into Indian territory.
Reports suggest that the Indian army managed not only to get ahead and thwart the PLA’s attempt, but to move faster than the Chinese and occupy the heights both countries claim. However, according to some reports, the PLA is said to have also moved to a hill called Helmet Top and tried to capture another hill called Black Top. To prevent further Chinese incursions, additional Indian troops have been stationed at Rezang La and Reqin La in the Chushul area, where the Army has also moved a regiment of its T90 tanks. Rezang La is where the Kumaon 13 Battalion led by Major Shaitan Singh had fought against Chinese forces in 1962.
The armies of both countries are observing the heights on the southern shore of Pangong Tso Lake, which is at an altitude of 14,000 feet, because it gives the armies an easy view of the movement of troops on the other side and gives them a chance. of blocking vital supplies to army outposts. On the north shore of the lake, while Chinese troops have withdrawn from the Galwan Valley, where the fighting took place on June 15, they are still deployed in large numbers in areas such as the Gogra post, in the finger area along along the lake, as well as in the Depsang Area where the PLA has reportedly been blocking access to Indian forces to carry out their patrol duties as they did before June.
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China’s PLA troops violate consensus in eastern Ladakh to change status quo, army says
The Indian Army, through a statement, has said that it “anticipated this PLA activity on the southern shore of Pangong Tso Lake, took steps to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change the facts about the ground”. The statement is in tune with the statement made a week ago by the Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, who had stated that India has “military options” to deal with China if talks at the military and diplomatic level did not produce results.
The PLA’s Western Theater Command, on the other hand, accused India of “illegally crossing the line” on August 31 at two points: the southern shore of Lake Pangong and near Rezang La. The statement said that India had “blatantly provoked and provoked tension on the border” and had “undermined the consensus reached” in diplomatic and military talks. Despite a series of talks between senior army officials on both sides, the PLA has been pushing for a massive military rally across LAC, including the construction of new helipads and surface-to-air missile sites.
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