Additional troops have been brought in from three locations outside Ladakh to the LAC where a standoff with China has been on since early May.
New Delhi: Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Y.K. Joshi Tuesday reached Ladakh to review the situation amid growing tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has forced the Army to move in about two additional division strength-level forces into the region, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources said most of the troops who were moved over the past few weeks have finished their acclimatisation and have been deployed to counter the Chinese build-up along the Galwan Valley, larger Hot Spring Area and the Finger Area of the Pangong Lake.
The brigades that have been moved from at least three different locations into Ladakh also have elements of artillery. Support elements have also been sent.
While the 14 Corps, the Army division that looks after Ladakh, is sufficiently armed in terms of artillery, armour, men and reserves, more soldiers have been brought in to create large reserves and forward deployment.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also increased its flying in Ladakh with a mix of Sukhoi and Mirages even as the Chinese have increased flying on their side.
“What is happening is mirror deployment. The Chinese have a troop build-up and we too are more than adequately placed,” a source said.
Even though the build-up is there, as reported by ThePrint earlier, the focus is on finding an “amicable solution” through talks.
Talks are being carried out through established channels, both at military level as well as the Army level.
Sources said while the situation in Galwan and the larger Host Spring area is “under control”, the main problem lies around Pangong Lake.
The 134 km of Pangong Lake’s northern bank juts out like a palm, and the various protrusions are identified as ‘fingers’.
The Chinese have come between the disputed area between Finger 3 and 4 and have dug up a moat-like construction with troop build-up to prevent Indians from patrolling further.
The dispute lies in the fact that India claims the LAC is at Finger 8 while the Chinese say it is at Finger 2.
With inputs from ThePrint