India insisted that China withdraw forces from all parts of eastern Ladakh (File)
New Delhi:
The military is preparing to maintain its current strength of troops, tanks and other weapons in all key areas of eastern Ladakh during the harsh winter months as a resolution of the dispute with China in the mountainous region shows no signs of rapid resolution, people familiar with the developments were announced on Saturday.
They said the Indian Air Force (IAF) will also remain on high alert at forward air bases along the Real Line of Control (LAC) while the Navy maintains its aggressive deployment in the region. of the Indian Ocean (IOR) to keep the pressure on China.
The Indian military is making elaborate preparations for the long drive in eastern Ladakh even as it awaits confirmation from the Chinese military for the fifth round of military talks due to take place this week, they said.
They said senior military and strategic officials on Saturday reviewed the general situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere, adding that the army chief, General MM Naravane, had regularly updated the Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh on matters relating to operational readiness.
Government sources have said maintaining the current level of troops and weapons in the high altitude region will require extensive preparations as the temperature drops beyond minus 20 degrees Celsius in the region during the peak winter months. .
“We are preparing to maintain the current strength. This is the plan for now based on the assessment of the current scenario,” said a source.
Sources said the government had started the ball rolling in purchasing high-altitude clothing and other necessary equipment for its soldiers stationed in the area.
They said the armies of the two countries are now expected to hold the next round of Corps commanders-level talks next week to work out the modalities to move forward the process of Finger Point disengagement in Pangong Tso.
India sent thousands of additional troops and weapons, including tanks and artillery guns, to their rear bases in eastern Ladakh following clashes in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2014. during which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the line of duty.
The Chinese side has also suffered losses, but has yet to give details. According to a US intelligence report, the death toll on the Chinese side was 35.
The Chinese military withdrew from the Galwan Valley and some other friction points, but the troop withdrawal did not advance from areas from Finger to Pangong Tso, as requested by India, sources said. .
India has insisted that China withdraw its forces from the areas between the Finger Four and Eight. The mountain spurs in the area are called fingers.
On July 24, the two sides held another round of diplomatic talks on the border issue.
After the talks, the Foreign Ministry said the two sides agreed that a rapid and full disengagement of troops along the LAC in accordance with the bilateral agreement and protocols was essential for the overall development of bilateral relations. .
The sources said that India has sent a firm message to the Chinese side that it must implement the disengagement process agreed upon during the four rounds of corps commanders-level talks between the two armies.
Three weeks after the clashes in the Galwan Valley, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a nearly two-hour telephone conversation on July 5 to ease tensions in the region. The two parties began the disengagement process from July 6 following the Doval-Wang talks who are special representatives for the border issue.
After the fourth round of Corps Commander-level talks, the military said both sides were determined to “completely disengage” the troops, adding that the process was “complex” and required “constant verification” .
