In a large escalation of tensions along the controversial Royal Line of Control (LAC), Indian and Chinese soldiers fired blasts into the air last week on the north bank of Pangong Tso as the Indian army took control of key locations with views of the Popular Liberation. Army deployments on Finger 4 ridge, officials familiar with the developments said Wednesday.
This was the third incident in which bullets were fired at LAC since August 29-30: the current border confrontation with China has seen bullets fired at LAC for the first time in 45 years.
The shooting incident took place at the heights where fingers 3 and 4 merge in the Sirijap range overlooking Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, officials who requested anonymity said. The north and south shores of the lake are at the heart of the current border confrontation between India and China, and between the four areas of friction where both armies maintain advanced positions.
The Indian and Chinese soldiers are barely a few hundred meters away at the friction points on either side of the lake.
Shots were also fired on the southern shore of the lake: the Indian army said last week that Chinese troops fired their weapons into the air on September 7 to intimidate their soldiers who had the commanding heights at Mukhpari peak near Rezang La in the southern shore during a failed attempt to approach an Indian-controlled outpost.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament on Tuesday that China has engaged in a massive mobilization of troops in LAC, aggressive behavior and sought to unilaterally change the status quo, all in contravention of existing border agreements and pacts between the two countries.
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Faced with this, he said, the Indian armed forces have shown restraint when necessary and courage when necessary, and will defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India in any situation. Dismissal incidents are not mentioned in the minister’s statement.
He said current friction areas in eastern Ladakh include Gogra, Kongka La and the northern and southern shores of Pangong Tso.
Before the PLA took up positions on finger 4, the army patrolled up to finger 8 which New Delhi considers to be within Indian territory. The new posts taken by the PLA have reduced the reach of the Indian patrols. Fingers 4 and 8 are eight kilometers apart. The Indian claim line in this sector extends up to Finger 8, while the Chinese claim goes up to Finger 4.
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India is making vigorous attempts to provide logistical support to its soldiers deployed in the eastern theater of Ladakh, where more than 50,000 Indian soldiers are likely to remain stationed during the winter months to face any provocation from Chinese forces, Hindustan reported. Times on Wednesday.
China has deployed considerable military resources in the eastern Ladakh theater, including 50,000 soldiers, 150 aircraft, tanks, heavy artillery, missiles, and air defense systems, with India matching every military move made by the neighbor.
The Indian Army controls the ridge positions on the southern bank of Pangong Tso that allow it to fully dominate the sector and monitor Chinese military activity, with the most significant heights in the hands of India at Rezang La and Reqin Pass, where the PLA is making desperate attempts to regain lost ground.
In Lok Sabha, Singh suggested Tuesday that there have also been long clashes in the past that were resolved peacefully, but acknowledged that the scale of troop mobilization and the number of sticking points make the current situation different. “We are ready to face any situation,” he said.
Singh said that India, in its communication with China, had clearly established three principles: the need to respect LAC and adhere strictly to it; the need not to change the status quo; and the need to respect all pacts and agreements. But on August 29-30, even as discussions were ongoing, Singh said the PLA tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the southern shore of Pangong Tso, but “timely action” by the Indian armed forces repelled the design.
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