A day after reports a renewed Chinese aggression in Ladakh that was thwarted by the Indian Army, security top brass met to take stock of the situation on the LAC. A high-level meeting chaired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday decided that India is ready for a long-drawn standoff and will expand its troop deployment in the region, reports said. It was also decided that Army will be allowed to exercise all options to block the Chinese. Reports said that Doval was briefed by both internal and external intelligence agency heads apart from senior officers from the army.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army has significantly strengthened its presence on a number of "strategic heights" and enhanced deployment of troops and weapons at key points around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh. The move follows an unsuccessful attempt by the Chinese PLA to unilaterally change the status quo in the area, news agency PTI reported quoting sources.
The Army has also further bolstered overall surveillance mechanisms in all areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh after foiling China's fresh attempt to occupy an area on the southern bank of Pangong lake, they said.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been told to enhance its surveillance on increasing Chinese air activities along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
There have been reports that China has deployed J-20 long-range fighter jets and several other key assets in strategically located Hotan airbase which is around 310 kms from eastern Ladakh.
In the last three months, the IAF deployed almost all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the key frontier air bases in eastern Ladakh and elsewhere along the LAC.
The IAF carried out night time combat air patrols over the eastern Ladakh region in an apparent message to China that it was ready to deal with any eventualities in the mountainous region.
The IAF has also deployed Apache attack choppers as well as Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to transport troops to various forward locations in eastern Ladakh.
The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. (With Inputs from PTI)
