Following new developments at the South Pangong Tso amid India-China border tension, a high-level meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and chiefs of Army, Navy and Airforce took place on Tuesday at South Block in New Delhi.
Tension at the India-China border once again flared up after the Chinese army attempted to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday (August 29 and 30).
Sources said Indian Army occupied the height on the southern bank of Pangong Tso, which can give advantage to the side which holds it for controlling the areas around.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Indian Army said that on the intervening night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, PLA troops violated the previous consensus agreed in military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.
"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong lake, and undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground."
The Indian Army also stated that they are committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity through dialogue, but are also equally determined to protect India's territorial integrity.
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.
"Both the countries' troops are still in an eyeball-to-eyeball position," said a source. To further de-escalate, the brigade commander-level flag meeting is taking place.
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