New Delhi: The Indian Army has significantly enhanced deployment of troops and weapons in all ‘strategic points’ around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army did so following an unsuccessful attempt by the Chinese PLA to unilaterally change the status quo in the area, authoritative sources said Monday.
The Army has also further bolstered overall surveillance mechanisms in all areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh after foiling China’s fresh attempt to occupy an area on the southern bank of Pangong lake, they said.
Earlier in the day, Army Spokesperson Col Aman Anand said the Chinese military carried out ‘provocative military movements’ to ‘unilaterally’ change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.
Top military and security brass has already reviewed the entire situation in eastern Ladakh. Separately, Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane held a meeting with top military officials over the fresh confrontation, the sources said.
“The Army has strengthened deployment of troops and weapons in all strategic points in the Pangong lake area,” said a source.
The sources said a sizeable number of Chinese troops were moving towards the southern bank of Pangong lake in an attempt to occupy the area but the Indian Army quickly made a significant deployment to foil the attempt. They said the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.
In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.
The IAF carried out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.
The IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations in eastern Ladakh.
The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.