An Indian Army truck crosses the Chang Pass near Lake Pangong in the Ladakh region of India. (AP file photo)
Army Chief General MM Naravane carried out a comprehensive review of the security situation in eastern Ladakh on Thursday.
- News18.com
- Last update: September 4, 2020 8:28 am IST
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China has moved additional forces near the tense Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh after Indian troops occupied all critical heights to prevent any misfortune for Chinese soldiers.
According to government officials, Beijing was completely taken by surprise by the way India overtook the PLA to occupy multiple heights near the southern shore of Pangong Tso over the weekend. “The situation throughout LAC is tense, with strong deployments on both sides. But it is like a powder keg in eastern Ladakh, ”a senior official told the Times of India.
Army Chief General MM Naravane conducted a comprehensive review of the security situation in eastern Ladakh on Thursday, days after China made further attempts to change the status quo along the southern bank of the Pangong Lake, prompting a further escalation of tensions, military sources said. .
On the first day of his two-day visit to Ladakh, General Naravane held a series of meetings with key commanders on developments in the situation in the region, as well as on India’s overall combat readiness to deal with any eventuality, they said.
The Chief of the Army also visited a key outpost where he interacted with a considerable number of troops. “General Naravane carried out a comprehensive review of the security scenario in eastern Ladakh,” said a source.
Tensions flared again in eastern Ladakh after China unsuccessfully tried to occupy Indian territory on the southern shore of Lake Pangong four days ago, when the two sides were engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the bitter border row.
India occupied a series of strategic heights on the southern shore of Pangong Lake and strengthened its presence in the Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese action. China has strongly opposed India’s move. But India has maintained that the heights are on its side of LAC, according to government sources.
India has also sent additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following Chinese attempts. At a weekly press conference on Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said the border tension in Ladakh over the past four months is a “direct result” of Chinese actions aimed at achieving a unilateral change in the status quo of the region.
He stated that the only way forward to resolve it was through negotiations. On Monday, the Indian military said the Chinese military carried out “provocative military moves” to “unilaterally” change the status quo on the southern shore of Lake Pangong on the middle night of August 29-30, but the attempt was thwarted by Indian troops. .
Srivastava said on Tuesday that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was again engaged in “provocative action” a day earlier when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to alleviate the situation. Following the attempts, the Indian army reinforced its presence at at least three strategic heights on the southern shore of Lake Pangong.
Some “readjustments” were also carried out in the troop deployment on the north shore of Pangong Lake on the Indian side of the Royal Line of Control (LAC) as part of the precautionary measures, the sources said.
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