Indian Army foils all three Chinese attempts in last 24 hours
Fresh tension is reported from Line of Actual Control (LAC) after the Chinese army tried to intrude into Indian territory on Monday and Tuesday in eastern and southern Ladakh. While the first attempt came at the south bank of the Pangong Tso (lake), the other took place in Chumar and Depsang.
The Indian Army foiled all the three bids in the last 24 hours and is on high alert all along the 1,600 km long LAC in the Ladakh region.
All these “brazen” and “provocative” actions by the Chinese took place even as the Brigadier-level talks were on between the two sides at Chushul-Moldo at the LAC on Monday and Tuesday
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a series of meetings with the military top brass here on Tuesday to review India’s readiness to meet this threat.
The Chinese troops engaged in “provocative action” on August 31 “even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation,” the External Affairs Ministry said.
India has taken up the issue with China through diplomatic and military channels and has “urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops,” it said.
Giving details, sources said the Indian soldiers were surrounded by Chinese soldiers, who were trying to regain the heights that are being dominated by the Indian Army following the action on August 29-30. Chinese soldiers were warned not to proceed near the Black Top hill and they were dissuaded. This came after their military commander in discussions with the Indian brigadier at the time was told to tell his forces to stand down to prevent any escalation.
The Chumar incident on Tuesday saw the Chinese trying to provoke the Indian forces by attempting to intrude into India in ten to 12 armoured vehicles. However, the Indian forces blocked them and asked the Chinese to desist from escalating the situation, sources said.
They clarified that there were no skirmishes in all the three attempts in the last two days.
In Depsang valley, the Chinese troops came in large numbers towards the LAC and duly warned by the Indians not to breach the LAC and maintain peace and tranquility, officials said.
The Brigadiers of two armies held the second successive round of talks in the last two days in Chushul-Moldo on the LAC in Ladakh on Tuesday. Though nothing tangibly positive emerged from the parleys, the two sides agreed to keep all lines of communication open to prevent the issue from flaring up further.
India also made it clear that its action on August 29-30 was “defensive” and within its side of the LAC to protect its territorial integrity. This assertion came with China claiming that the Indian army breached the past agreements and transgressed the LAC in south bank of the Pangong Tso(lake)and occupied strategic hilltops falling in the Chinese region.
Reacting to the latest developments on the LAC, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Chinese side violated the understanding and engaged in provocative maneuvers in the late night of 29th and on 30th August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.
He said India and China have been closely engaged through diplomatic and military channels over the past three months to resolve the situation along the India-China border. It would also be recalled that earlier the two Foreign Ministers and the two Special Representatives had agreed that the situation should be handled in a responsible manner and either side should not take any provocative action or escalate matters and ensure peace and tranquility as per bilateral agreements and protocol.
As stated on Monday by the Indian Army, the Indian side responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity. Furthermore, on August 31 even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo, Srivastava said.
The actions and behavior of the Chinese side since earlier this year along the LAC has been in clear violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquility on the border. Such actions are also in complete disregard to the understandings reached between the two Foreign Ministers as also the Special Representatives.
“We have taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions with the Chinese side through both diplomatic and military channels and have urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions,” he said.
The Indian side is firmly committed to resolving all outstanding issues along the LAC in the Western Sector through peaceful dialogue. In this context, we expect the Chinese side to sincerely abide by the understanding reached earlier and earnestly work with the India to resolve the situation and to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas.
Sources said the Indian army swung into action on after intelligence reports indicated tank and troop movement by the Chinese. More than 300 Chinese troopers tried to enter the Black Top region in southern Pangong known as Chushul sector.
Elite commandos of the covert Special Frontier Force(SFF) and the regular army teams thwarted the Chinese aggressive move and secured the crucial hilltops in the region. They include Black Top and three others besides crucial road link to the Spangurr gap leading to Chushul which is about 20 km from the current flashpoint, sources said.
After this preemptive move by India, China deployed additional troops and tanks close to the LAC. India has responded with positioning tanks and heavy guns besides mountain warfare trained and acclimatized troops. At present, more than one lakh soldiers from both sides are amassed along the LAC in Ladakh region.
The Indian Army also dismantled the sensors, infrared cameras and other observation devices erected by the Chinese in the region to keep an eye on the Indian patrol movements, they said.
At present, the Indian Army is dominating key ridges on the south bank of the Pangong Lake and has effective military control of the entire area, sources said.
They also said the August 29-30 action to occupy the height was defensive to protect its territory and deny China military advantage as it deployed more troops and tanks on their side of the LAC.
Explaining the significance of the Indian military move, they said the Indian troops now positioned on the hilltops can easily detect any Chinese movement on the important Spanggur Gap, a key link through which troop movement can take place. China has also built a metalled road on the south bank of the neighboring Spanggur Lake, through which it can bring in heavy vehicles including tanks and armoured personnel carriers. The advance of the Chinese tanks is now negated because India has occupied important heights in the area with Anti Tank Guided Missiles systems (ATGM) in place.
Elaborating upon steps taken to meet any Chinese threat, sources said the Army has deployed troops in certain key areas, including Rezang La, and has carried out reconnaissance of other important heights in the vicinity.
They also said the Chinese undertook the bid to transgress in the south bank of the Pangong Tso in an area which has traditionally been heavily defended by the Indian Army to unilaterally change the status of the LAC.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will take part in the three-day defence ministers’ meet of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO)in Moscow starting Wednesday. China and Pakistan are also part of this grouping and Rajnath may meet his Chinese counterpart there.
Some days later External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also travel to Moscow to participate in the external affairs ministers’ meet of the SCO there. He is likely to discuss the current tense situation at the LAC with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, source said here on Tuesday.
Incidentally, India has pulled out of the multination military exercise in southern Russia as China