Chinese People Liberation Army (PLA) was seen carrying out an exercise in their depth areas near the Eastern Ladakh sector, further escalating the ongoing standoff between India and China, ANI reported. However, the Indian armed forces are on full alert this time despite the Covid-19 pandemic and are watching PLA's moves closely
PLA's military exercise in-depth areas, around a year after their aggression in eastern Ladakh, assumes significance as discussions between the two neighbouring countries are still underway on issues related to the existing friction points including hot springs and Gogra heights after the mutual withdrawal of troops from the Pangong Lake area earlier this year.
The Chinese troops, however, are carrying out their exercise well within their traditional areas with distances at some places ranging from 100 km and beyond, ANI quoted its sources as saying.
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The ANI source further said that the Chinese have been coming to these areas for many years where they hold their exercises in the summertime. Last year also, they had come to these areas in the garb of exercises and diverted from here towards Eastern Ladakh aggressively
The Indian troops have been deployed at forwarding locations in eastern Ladakh and other sectors during summer. The forces deployed by the Indian side in Ladakh include the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Indian Air Force (IAF), and Indian Army. These forces are now deployed at the forward most locations in the sector.
Ever since the escalation, India has been demanding disengagement at the Gogra, Hot Springs, and Depsang plains area by the Chinese Army. The Chinese have been maintaining the presence of their long-range air defence batteries including the HQ-9 which can hit targets at over 200 km ever since the stand-off started along with their fighter nets at Hotan, Ngari Gunsa and Kashgar.
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India has also ensured that its guard remains up in view of the Chinese posturing and maintained a large number of troops in these areas along with frequent deployment of frontline aircraft such as the Rafale fighter jets there.
