India Now Dominates Disputed Area In South Pangong: Sources On Flare-Up

1st Sep, 2020

The Indian Army is now fully dominating the heights in the disputed area in Ladakh's south Pangong area, sources told NDTV today, days after the fresh flare-up. A second round of brigade commander-level talks is on between China and India at Chusul. The army now dominates the ridges in the area, sources told NDTV. The sources also made it clear that this is a defensive action by the army in response to the Chinese aggression in the area.
Yesterday, the government said the Chinese troops had attempted to carry out "provocative military movements to change the status quo" near Pangong lake. But the move has been blocked by the Indian army.

The movement by Chinese soldiers took place on Saturday night. With no road in the area, a huge number of Chinese troops, deployed along the south bank of the Pangong Lake, footed it westward. Their aim was to unilaterally occupy the area, sources said, adding there was no physical skirmish.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (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," read the government statement.

"Indian troops preempted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," it said, adding that the army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, "but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity".