Ladakh standoff: Indian army beats China in occupying strategic height near Pangong lake southern bank
Indian Army on Monday 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. Sources told news agency ANI that a special operations battalion was recently inducted into the area. On the night of August 29-30 moved into the area and occupied the heights from where Chinese troops were present barely a few hundred meters, said sources.
According to sources, two brigade commander level meetings have already been held in Chushul/Moldo for resolving the matter and the tension but it has not yielded any result.
"Height occupied by Indian Army troops including a special operations battalion is south of Southern bank of Pangong Tso near Thakung. Height was lying dormant and can give strategic advantage to the side which holds it for controlling the southern bank of lake and areas around it," the agency reported quoting sources.
They said the height is in the area under the Indian side of the LAC but the Chinese also claim it to be on their side.
PLA Western Theater Command earlier said Indian troops violated the consensus reached at "multi-level talks" between the two countries.
"Indian troops have violated the consensus reached at the multi-level talks between #India and #China and again crossed the line of actual control at the border on Monday and purposely launched provocations," PLA Western Theater Command was quoted as saying by China's state-run Global Times.
This came after an Indian Army spokesperson said Indian Army has thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday and talks are being held now to resolve the issue there.
"On the night of August 29/30, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," said Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement.
The Indian Army took measures to strengthen its position and "and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground".
India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.
The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant General-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.
The Chinese Army has refused to withdraw or disengage completely from the Finger area and seems to be buying time to delay its disengagement from there.
While efforts are underway to resolve the ongoing border dispute, India has rejected the Chinese suggestion to disengage equidistantly from the Finger area in Eastern Ladakh.
(With ANI inputs)
