Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 17: Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will be in Leh for three days from August 20 for high-level security review along un-demarcated Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, where Sino-Indian troops had come in an eyeball-to-eyeball position along the banks of Pangong lake on August 15 before the issue was sorted out at the Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) at Chushul.
Gen Rawat will also join President Ram Nath Kovind, who will be in Leh on August 21, his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after take over, in addressing Ladakh Scouts and Guides. Kovind will return to New Delhi in the evening.
Sources told the Excelsior that the Army hasn’t taken lightly the Pangong lake scuffle between Indian troops and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China near Pangong lake in Leh, where Army had successfully foiled PLA soldiers’ attempt to infiltrate into the Indian side.
“As the attempted infiltration by the PLA comes close on the heels of Doklam standoff between India and China, Army has decided to hold very high-level review of deployment along LAC with China,” sources said, adding India was also trying to strengthen its positions all along LAC in 5 States including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Sources said Gen Rawat will take stock of the security preparedness along the LAC with China besides discussing key operational matters with top commanders.
The Chief of Army Staff will pay a three-day visit to Ladakh from Sunday during which he will review the security situation and present ceremonial colours to one of the units, sources said.
They said Gen Rawat will discuss major operational matters with top commanders in Ladakh.
On Tuesday, soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tried to enter the Indian side in two areas– Finger Four and Finger Five– twice but on both the occasions their attempts were thwarted by alert Indian troops.
The assessment by the security establishment here is that Chinese soldiers may resort to more such attempt to intrude into the Indian side and there was a need to enhance the existing security arrangement along the border.
The incidents in Ladakh took place amid a faceoff between Indian and Chinese armies in Dokalam in India-Bhutan- China trijunction which has entered the third month.
The Army officers of India and China had met yesterday in Leh’s Chusul sector where Indian side raised the issue of attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake.
Sources said the Chinese side had taken an aggressive stand at the meeting and even sought to blame the Indian troops for Tuesday’s skirmishes.
They said the meeting also deliberated on ways to maintain peace and tranquility along the border in Ladakh.
The Chinese troops had managed to enter up to Finger Four area in the region from where they were sent back. This area has been a bone of contention between India and China as both claim it to be a part of their territory.
After Chinese troopers found their path blocked by ITBP personnel who formed a human chain, they began hurling stones, prompting a swift retaliation by Indian border guards.
Personnel from both sides received minor injuries and the situation was brought under control after the customary banner drill under which both sides hold banners before stepping back to their respective positions.
Two thirds of the Pangong Lake is controlled by China while one-third of it is controlled by India.
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