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NEW DELHI: The Army is fully prepared to handle the “delicate and serious” situation along the border with China, having carried out precautionary deployments to safeguard the integrity of the country’s territory, General MM said. Naravane on Friday.
“Our troops are well prepared for all contingencies that may arise. A high state of operational readiness is maintained, ”said the Army chief, after a two-day visit to the outpost areas in eastern Ladakh for a first-hand assessment of the terrain and logistics situation for the upcoming winter along the Line of Royal Control. .
The military standoff in the high-altitude region since the beginning of May has further escalated after around 3,000 Indian soldiers, heavily armed with rocket launchers, anti-tank guided missiles and other weapons, proactively occupied multiple tactical heights in the sector of Chushul and then consolidated. their positions from August 29 to 30.
Outgunned in the race to conquer the heights, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has injected additional forces and tanks in front of the Chushul sector. It strongly demands that the Indian soldiers leave the heights that overlook the crucial PLA Moldo garrison, the entry route for the tanks through the Spanggur Gap and the highways of the region.
Overall, both India and China have deployed more than 35,000 troops each, apart from tanks, howitzers, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons systems, along the border in eastern Ladakh, from Daulat Beg Oldie- Depsang in the north to Demchok. and Chumar in the south.
The last flash point, of course, is towards the southern shore of Pangong Tso in the Chushul sector. General Naravane, for his part, said India was “firmly committed” to resolving the current situation through talks with China.
“Over the past three months, both parties have been committed to resolving the tense situation. The military and diplomatic channels are working. We will continue to use all existing mechanisms to reduce tension and ensure that the status quo does not change unilaterally and we can safeguard our interests, “he said.
At the same time, the army chief said that the morale and determination of the Indian commanders and soldiers on the ground was high and they were prepared for any challenge, while the logistical arrangements for their livelihood in the winter were also fully in place. “It gives me confidence that they are well prepared to safeguard the territorial integrity of our nation,” he said.
Meanwhile, brigade-level talks between the two armies at the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting point continued for a fifth day on Friday. “Not much comes out of the conversations. But while you’re talking, you’re not fighting. One of the reasons for June 15 Galwan Valley The skirmish (in which 20 Indians and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers were killed) was the communication breach, ”said a senior official.
The Indian Army, after being presented with a fait accompli on the north shore of Pangong Tso with the PLA occupying the 8 km stretch from ‘Finger-4 to 8’, has effectively blocked the PLA’s offer to do the same in the Chushul sector. with his preventive military maneuver from August 29 to 30. “It was the first time that we proactively changed the status quo. If the PLA doesn’t adhere to mutual agreements and protocols, why should we? added.
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