“The gloves have been removed,” a senior defense official said Monday, after it became clear indian army had undertaken a pre-emptive military maneuver to occupy heights in the Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh to thwart Chinese designs.
This is in tune with the thinking that the only way to force China to sit at the negotiating table is through a “counter-raid” to gain much-needed leverage in the stalled negotiations on the proposed withdrawal at Pangong Tso and Gogra, as well as the de-escalation in the Depsang-Daulat Beg Oldie sector.
But this does not mean that the Indian military action on the night between Saturday and Sunday was an incursion into Chinese territory. A senior officer took the time to emphasize that the Indian forces had only occupied the heights of Chushul that fell within India’s perception of LAC.
“Mountain warfare is about occupying the commanding heights. China surprised us with its multiple forays into eastern Ladakh in early May. It broke the understanding throughout LAC. This time we have surprised the Chinese ”, said another official.
Live updates: India vs. China LAC showdown
But the Indian establishment also realizes that China, which is not Pakistan, is there for the long term. The PLA has been furiously building infrastructure near LAC since the beginning of May, ranging from new roads, lateral links, helipads and bridges, while increasing the capacity of its air bases in Hotan and Kashgar (Xinjiang), Gargunsa, Lhasa -Gonggar. and Shigatse (Tibet). It also includes the laying of fiber optic cables for his troops at the standoff sites in the Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs areas, as TOI previously reported.
Hotan’s main airbase facing east of Ladakh has more than 40 fighters, including the latest fifth-generation J-20 aircraft, as well as J-11 and J-8, as well as some AEW & C (control and airborne early warning) and armed drones. Other bases like Kashgar have six to eight Xian H-6K bombers in addition to fighters. “The deployment is 30 to 40% more than usual,” said another officer.
“The threat is clear. The multiple raids at the beginning of May could not have taken place without the explicit authorization of the highest Chinese political-military hierarchy. The two steps forward and one back typify China’s behavior over the years to gradually seize Indian territory, ”he added.
The PLA is also establishing surface-to-air missile sites in its “deep areas” around 50-100 km from LAC, opposite areas such as Lipulekh, Naku La and Doklam in different sectors, to protect against Indian fighters. India, of course, has been countered in all areas.
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