Army Chief visits Ladakh to review security situation

Amid the Indo-China border row, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has arrived in Ladakh to review the security situation. The Army Chief will take stock of operational issues and ground situation amidst escalating posture between India and China on South Pangong and elsewhere.

New Delhi: Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has reached eastern Ladakh on Thursday to review the on-going security situation. Naravane will also be briefed by senior field commanders on the ground situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Army Chief will take stock of operational issues and ground situation amidst escalating posture between India and China on South Pangong and elsewhere.

Naravane's visit comes at a time when Indian troops have thwarted the Chinese Army's attempts to transgress into areas in Ladakh.

According to sources, during the two-day visit, the Army Chief will also review the operational preparedness of the troops who are locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for over three months now.

On the intervening night of August 29-30, the Indian Army thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh.

"Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane is visiting Leh today to review the ongoing security situation there. He will be briefed by senior field commanders on the ground situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," Army sources said on Thursday.

Recently, fresh clashes were reported between India and China troops in Pangong Tso, Eastern Ladakh. According to the Army sources, China violated the previous consensus and carried out provocative military movements to alter status quo pro.

READ:Indian side violated bilateral agreements, important consensus, claims China

In the last few days, the Chinese army had made multiple attempts to change the status quo in the southern area of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. But, all these attempts were foiled by the alert Indian troops.

The border row between the two nations intensified after the Galwan valley skirmish in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

In the backdrop of the Chinese aggression, the Indian Army has changed its posture from border management to securing the border on 1,597 km LAC. The re-positioning of the Indian forces was done to pre-empt any Chinese PLA transgression in vulnerable areas of Ladakh. The Indian Army has also matched the PLA’s pumping of troops into the sector by deploying additional specialised forces.

READ:Rajnath Singh to not meet Chinese counterpart at SCO meeting

The Indian posture at Chushul clearly states that any further PLA manoeuvre will be given a matching response. Several rounds of diplomatic and military talks have been held between the two Commander troops to solve the border dispute.

However, China has claimed that the Indian side has violated "bilateral agreements and important consensus."

"The Indian side claims it `pre-empted' Chinese military activity. India's statements reveal the fact that the Indian troops were the first to have illegally crossed the LAC, changed the status quo in the border areas, and violated bilateral agreements and important consensus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson had said.

With agency inputs

READ:#BattlegroundUSA2020- US Attacks On China: Campaign Or Consistent Agenda?