Some “readjustments” were also carried out in the deployment of troops on the north shore of Pangong Lake on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LACQUER) as part of the precautionary measures, they said. The situation in the area was said to be delicate.
The sources also said that another round of military talks between the two sides on Wednesday to defuse tensions in the area remained inconclusive. The talks lasted almost seven hours.
Full coverage – LAC deadlock
Talks at the brigade commander level on Monday and Tuesday also yielded no tangible results, the sources said.
Sources said India has made tactical breakthroughs in eastern Ladakh in recent days by occupying a number of strategically important summits and locations.
The enhanced deployment came in the wake of China’s failed attempts to change the status quo in the region.
The two sides previously participated in a clash on the north shore of Pangong Lake, but it broke out for the first time on its southern shore, the sources said.
In the military talks, the Chinese side voiced its objection to India occupying certain strategic heights in the region, the sources said.
But, the Indian delegation maintained that the heights are on the Indian side of LAC, the sources added.
They said that India wants to resolve the border dispute through talks, but that at the same time it will effectively deal with any “misadventures” from China throughout LAC.
In the wake of the Chinese attempts, the Indian army has alerted all its front-line bases throughout the 3,400 km of LAC to remain vigilant around the clock.
India rushed to send additional troops and weaponry to all sensitive border areas, including sectors of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, after the fighting in the Galwan Valley, which significantly escalated tensions.
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. .
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said Tuesday that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was engaged in “provocative action” again a day earlier when the two sides’ ground commanders were holding talks to alleviate the situation.
“The situation in the area remains delicate,” said a source, adding that India has significantly increased overall surveillance in the region.
In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying alleged that the responsibility for the border tensions rests entirely with the Indian side.
“The responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. China has exercised great restraint to prevent an escalation,” Hua told a news conference in response to questions about the border situation between China and India.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh on Tuesday at a high-level meeting attended by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval , the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of the Army, General MM Naravane. and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.
At the nearly two-hour meeting, it was decided that the Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive stance in all sensitive areas throughout LAC to effectively deal with any Chinese “misadventures”, the sources said. A battalion of the Border Special Force was also deployed in the area.
The sources said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to improve its vigilance on increasing Chinese air activities throughout LAC in eastern Ladakh.
There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets to the strategically located Hotan air base some 310 km east of Ladakh.
In the past three months, the IAF has deployed nearly all of its front-line fighter jets such as the Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 jets to key border air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere throughout LAC.
China’s new attempt to change the status quo in the Pangong Lake area is the first major incident in the area after clashes in the Galwan Valley on June 15, in which 20 members of the Indian army were killed. China also suffered casualties, but has not yet released the details. According to an American intelligence report, she was 35 years old.
India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the past two and a half months, but no significant progress was made towards a resolution of the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
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On video: LAC row: India Strengthens Presence at Strategic Heights in Lake Pangong Area; unfinished military talks
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