On June 6th, India and China are set to hold Lieutenant General level talks to resolve the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control.
Over the past weeks, the tensions along the Line of Actual Control have been escalating following a massive military buildup by the People’s Liberation Army of China. According to the top military sources, India has been strengthening its forces in Pangong Tso and Galwan valley, the areas where Chinese is believed to have deployed 2000-2500 of its troops.
The presence of Chinese troops in several regions along the Galwan valley has been a major cause of worry for the Indian Military. The former Northern Army commander Lt. Gen (Retd) DS Hooda said that the situation is serious as it is not a normal kind of transgression by the Chinese army. He said it is particularly worrying because the two sides have not had a dispute along the region where the transgression is happening.
The sources in the Indian Army said that the Leh-based commander of the 14 Corps, Lt. General Harinder Singh is set to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart on Sunday. However, armies of both the countries held talks on Tuesday as well. The sources said,
“There have been more than 10 rounds of talks held already between the two sides. On Tuesday also, officers from both sides held talks to resolve the crisis.”
Escalation by PLA
The Chinese army has ramped up 100 tents in the Galway valley in the last two weeks and has brought in heavy equipment for the construction of bunkers. The People’s Liberation Army has deployed more than 5,000 troops along with the Eastern Ladakh sector. In certain areas, the troops have encroached into the Indian territory with an intent to carry out further incursions. They were quickly checked by the Indian security forces. The Chinese have also brought in heavy artillery vehicles in positions that are close to the Indian regions.
With the Indian and Chinese forces remain eye to eye in several disputed regions along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, the possible confrontation could become the biggest military face-off since the Dokhlam episode in 2017.
Source: The Times of India
