LAC standoff: Army chief reaches Leh to review operational preparedness

New Delhi:Army chief General MM Naravane on Thursday reached Leh as part of a two-day visit to review the operational preparedness in the Ladakh region.

The visit comes in the backdrop of the fresh skirmishes between Indian and Chinese soldiers at Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian and Chinese militaries began the third round of talks at Chushul on Tuesday to resolve the fresh skirmishes.

Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in skirmishes at the southern bank of the Pangong Lake where the Chinese brought in close to 450 troops and attempted to change the status quo, the Indian Army said as it thwarted the opponent’s effort.

Sources said Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops with help of ropes and other climbing equipment started climbing at a table-top area between Black Top and Thakung Heights at Pangong Tso’s south bank.

Hearing the commotion, the Indian Army was alerted and swung into action.

Earlier, Indian intelligence agencies had alerted the Indian Army about the Chinese’s PLA plans to change the status quo in other areas along the Line of Actual Control. Thereafter, skirmishes erupted between both sides but things did not escalate. When Chinese troops saw the strength of Indian troops, the skirmishes stopped.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)