The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is tense and the Army had undertaken precautionary deployments, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane said on Friday, the second day of his visit to Ladakh.
“India is firmly committed to resolve the current situation along the LAC through engagement. We will continue to utilise all existing mechanisms to reduce tension and to ensure that the status quo is not unilaterally changed,” he observed. The troops were prepared for all contingencies that may arise.
And at Chushul, the Brigadier-level talks continued for the fifth day on Friday to de-escalate the situation on the South Bank but remained inconclusive like the earlier days.
Gen. Naravane said the situation had been tense for the last three months but there had been continuous engagement with China both at the military and diplomatic levels.
Also read: China questions India’s account of LAC tensions
Asked about his visit to Leh and forward areas, Gen. Naravane stated that he took a first-hand account of the situation on the ground and interacted with the personnel. “They [personnel] are highly motivated. Their morale is high and they are fully prepared to deal with any situation that may arise,” he asserted.
Also read: India, China gear up for next round of military talks
The Chief of the Army Staff urged all ranks to remain vigilant and maintain a high order of operational readiness, the Army said in a statement. He was briefed by Lt. Gen. Y.K. Joshi, Northern Army Commander, and Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, 14 Corps Commander, on the “state of operational preparedness and on the logistics arrangements for sustenance of forces in winters”.
Army’s pre-emptive step
Gen. Naravane’s visit to Leh comes amid heightened tensions on the South Bank of Pangong Tso following “provocative movements” by Chinese troops, prompting the Indian Army to dominate some unoccupied heights in the Chushul sector as a pre-emptive measure.
Also read: Ladakh standoff | China says responsibility for border tensions ‘lies entirely with India’
India and China have deployed thousands of troops, tanks, artillery and fighter jets along the LAC since early May when Chinese troops moved into Indian side of the LAC and built defences at several locations.
