LAC situation 'stable but sensitive', maintaing high state of preparedness: Army chief on border tensions with China

LAC situation ‘stable but sensitive’, maintaing high state of preparedness: Army chief on border tensions with China

NEW DELHI: India is maintaining a “high state of preparedness” along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, Army chief General Manoj Pande said on Thursday amid ongoing military tensions with China.

Addressing a press conference ahead of Army Day, General Pande also spoke about the situation along the Pakistan border, saying that terrorist activities in J&K’s Rajouri and Poonch in the last 5-6 months have been an “issue of concern”.

‘LAC stable but sensitive’

During his address, the Army chief said that the situation along the China border remains “sensitive but stable”.

He added that both India and China will continue to hold military and diplomatic level talks to find a resolution to the remaining issues.

The Army chief said that the Indian troops are maintaining adequate reserves to confront any security challenge in the region.

“The situation on the Northern border is stable but sensitive. We continue to talk to find a solution to address and balance issues between the two sides. Operational preparedness is very high, and deployment is both robust and balanced,” he said.

India and China have been locked in an over three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh. The standoff had erupted in May 2020 after a deadly clash between both the sides in which 20 Indian soliders and an undisclosed number of Chinese troops lost their lives.

Following extensive diplomatic and military talks to defuse the tensions over the last three years, the two sides have completed disengagement from several areas. However, friction remains in some regions.

Speaking about talks between Bhutan and China over their boundary dispute, Gen Pande said that the developments having bearing on India’s security are being monitored.

“We have robust military engagement with Bhutan and closely monitoring developments,” he said

‘Infiltration attempts along LoC’

During the briefing, the Army chief said that though the ceasefire agreement with Pakistan is holding up along the Line of Control (LoC), there has been a few cross-border infilitration attemps.

Gen Pande added that the Indian troops are foiling infiltration attempts along the LoC.

The Army chief noted that there has been a drop in overall incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir but such incidents have increased in Rajouri-Poonch sector.

He said due to peace in Kashmir valley, India’s adversaries are encouraging “proxy wars” in the area.

“The situation and terrorist activities in Rajouri and Poonch in the last 5-6 months have been an issue of concern to us. By 2003, terrorism in this area was fully disseminated and peace was established there until 2017-18. Because peace is coming in the valley, our adversaries are encouraging proxy wars in the area. The Pakistan army is trying to aggregate terrorism in the Rajouri Poonch area,” he said.

Gen Pande said that terror infrastructure continues to thrive across the border.

‘416 Myanmar soldiers entered India’

The Army chief also informed that around 416 Myanmarese soldiers had crossed over to India amid fighting between Myanmar’s armed ethnic groups and the government forces.

He said that the Indian military is “closely watching” the unfolding developments in the region.

Gen Pande described the situation near the Indo-Myanmar border as “concerning” and that some of the insurgent groups are feeling the pressure in the frontier region of that country and are attempting to enter Manipur.

“The situation across the Indo-Myanmar border is something that we are closely watching,” he said.

Officials said that all 416 Myanmarese military personnel have already been repatriated.

The anti-junta groups have reportedly taken control of several key towns, military bases near Myanmar’s border with India and the volatile situation has forced scores of Myanmarese citizens to take refuge in Mizoram.

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640 kilometre-long border with a number of northeastern states including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.

The hostilities between Myanmar’s anti-junta groups and government forces in several key towns and regions near the border with India fuelled concerns in the Indian military establishment about the possible spillover effect.

(With inputs from agencies)

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