Ladakh Stand-Off: Army Moves 60 Bofors Guns To LAC

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A File photo of Bofors guns in Kargil, courtesy India Today

Srinagar: As the end to stand-off between the two nuclear countries seems nowhere in the sight, the Indian army has moved around 60 Bofors guns to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to meet any ‘aggression’ by the Chinese troops, India Today reported Thursday.

According to the report, the Indian army has transported 60 Bofors artillery guns from Leh town to the forward positions along the LAC to foil any misadventure by the Chinese troops who have reportedly occupied an area of around 60 sq kms. Army, the report says have chosen Bofors guns because of its results in the high altitude warfare, especially during the Kargil 1999 conflict with Pakistan.

The report further says that army wants the issue to be resolved through negotiations but at the same time they maintain that construction activity in the areas close to LAC won’t be stopped.

India Today reported that huge construction activity has been taken up, including on the road connecting Leh town with Daulat Beg Oldi. A Bridge is also being built along the Shyok River, a tributary of the Indus River.

The construction work that was halted due to coronavirus and the lockdown following it, have been resumed and sped up, the report said. Workers from different areas have been taken to the construction sites to finish the projects sooner.

The aim of making roads and bridges, the report says was a developmental issue for the locals and would make their travel easy, the report said, adding, it will also help soldiers to carry weaponry and other material to LAC easy.

The report further says that Chinese sides have shown some flexibility, and the Lieutenant General level meeting is taking place on June 6 at Chushul-Moldo, one of the two designated meeting points in Ladakh to reach an agreement. The Indian delegation will be led by Leh-based 14 Corp Commander Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh.

The two neighbors are locked in a tense face-off for over four weeks in Pangong Tso Lake, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in Eastern Ladakh.

Both the countries deployed additional troops after a violent clash left scores of soldiers injured from both sides.

The trigger behind the faceoff was Beijing’s stiff opposition to New Delhi’s move to construct a key road around the Pangong Tso Lake, besides laying another road stretch, connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

Even as some 5,000 reported Chinese troops have appeared in Ladakh, the Indian version is that Chinese troops crossed the LAC, with vehicles and equipment, to block road construction by India.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, while India contests it.

Chinese Troops Wanted Deeper Incursion, Says Report

The Chinese troops wanted to do a further deeper incursion into Eastern Ladakh before the Indian troops foiled their attempt, reveals a report submitted by the security agencies to the government.

Security agencies have submitted a detailed report to the Modi-led government on the Chinese military build-up in Eastern Ladakh, news agency ANI reported today. The official report has given out details about the Chinese build-up in different sectors from the topmost area including the Daulat Beg Oldi sector and the Pangong Tso sector, ANI quoting sources said.

The sources further said the government has also been apprised by the agencies on how the Chinese could so swiftly build up in these areas and manage to bring in troops in such large numbers.

Starting from the first week of May, the official report says China has been able to bring in more than 5,000 troops in the Eastern Ladakh sector along the Line of Actual Control.

“Initially, they surprised the Indian side by the heavy troop movement but then India also started matching it by rushing in troops from its reserve division trained in high altitude warfare,” the report says.

“This was in addition to the troops already deployed in the Ladakh sector as part of the 3 Division based in Karu. Since the first week of May, the Chinese who are sitting inside Indian territory at some places on the LAC, there has not been any change in the ground situation and multiple face-offs had taken place between the soldiers of both sides,” it adds.

As per the assessment, the official report says Chinese troops wanted to do a further deeper incursion into the Indian side but the timely deployment of troops by Indian forces did not allow that to happen.

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