September 8, 2020 4:50:07 am
Exactly a week ago, Indian troops occupied strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso and Rechin La, giving them a commanding view of the terrain in the Chushul sector.
Days after Indian troops thwarted Chinese maneuvers and occupied strategic heights on the southern shore of Pangong Tso and Rechin La near Rezang La, the southern shore of the lake appeared to be boiling again on Monday night and the Chinese PLA claimed that Indian troops had fired warning shots, leading it to “take countermeasures to stabilize the situation on the ground.”
There was no immediate response from the Indian Army or the Ministry of Defense.
In a statement, Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesman for the PLA Western Theater Command, stated that the Indian army “crossed the line and entered Bangong Hunan, the western section of the Sino-Indian border” and that “the actions of the India seriously violated the relevant agreements and accords between China and India, which increase regional tensions and easily cause misunderstandings and misjudgments ”.
Describing these as “serious military provocations … of very bad nature,” Zhang urged “the Indian side to immediately halt dangerous actions, immediately withdraw personnel crossing the line, strictly restrain front-line troops, and investigate and strictly punish the personnel who shot at ensuring that similar incidents are not repeated ”.
Exactly a week ago, Indian troops occupied strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong Tso and Rechin La, giving them a commanding view of the terrain in the Chushul sector. Troops can guard China’s Moldo garrison and prevent any attempts to enter through Spanggur Gap.
On September 4, Army Chief General MM Naravane, while reviewing operational readiness in eastern Ladakh, said that the situation along the Royal Line of Control was “tense”.
He said that the Indian actions had only occurred throughout LAC; this was his way of countering Chinese accusations that Indian troops crossed LAC, an accusation that the PLA repeated Monday night.
With the occupation now high, the Indians hope to bring the Chinese back to the table of disengagement talks. The PLA has been reluctant to step back on the north bank of Pangong Tso and Gogra Post after agreeing to the total disconnect.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest news about India, download the Indian Express app.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
.
