Army Well Entrenched To Counter Any Misadventure By China In Ladakh
(This Post is originally Posted on The Print by SNEHESH ALEX PHILIP)
New Delhi: Army Well Entrenched To Counter Any Misadventure By China In Ladakh Braving inclement weather, Indian troops are “well entrenched” to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said, underlining that the Army is prepared for any eventuality.
In its annual report, the ministry has added that the unilateral and provocative actions by the Chinese to change the status quo by force, in more than one area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), were given a response in “a firm and non-escalatory way, ensuring the sanctity of our claims in eastern Ladakh”.
“Braving inclement weather, own troops continue to be deployed on these heights. Advance Winter Stocking (AWS) and winter preparations for the enhanced strength has been completed and troops are well entrenched to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces,” it said.
“While the Indian Army is prepared for any eventuality, talks are also progressing to resolve the issue in an amicable manner.”
The Army, it said, has maintained all protocols and agreements between the two countries while the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) escalated the situation by using “unorthodox weapons” and amassing large numbers of troops.
The MoD’s reference was to the PLA’s use of clubs and nail-embedded sticks as well as iron rods with machete-like heads in multiple skirmishes with Indian soldiers in Ladakh, including the Galwan Valley clash of 15 June.
“In a major skirmish in Galwan, 20 brave Indian soldiers lost their lives while preventing PLA troops from ingressing into our territory. The Chinese also suffered significant casualties,” it said.
