With the occupation of these six peaks in the eastern region of Ladakh, the Indian Army is now in a good position to monitor the movement Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

It is learnt that Indian Air Force is also flying Rafale fighter jets near the LAC to monitor the activities of the fighter planes of China. Five Rafale fighter aircraft, which were formally deployed at Ambala Air Base on September 10, were recently spotted conducting ‘familiarisation sorties’ in Ladakh.

Keeping in mind the aggressive nature of PLA, the IAF is looking to enhance its combat skills. The IAF has been on high alert following the recent incidents of firing by Chinese troops near the LAC.

Meanwhile senior army commanders of India and China held talks on implementing a five-point agreement reached between the two countries on disengagement of troops and de-escalation of the tense situation in eastern Ladakh.

The sixth round of Corps commander-level talks began on Monday in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) across India’s Chushul sector in eastern Ladakh. The Indian delegation is headed by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps of the Indian Army.

The team also included a joint secretary-level officer from the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) and Lt. Gen PGK Menon, who is expected to succeed Singh as the commander of the 14 Corps next month.

It is for the first time that a senior official from the MEA was part of the high-level military talks aimed at ending the four-month-long border standoff between in India and China.
Maj Gen Liu Lin, the commander of the South Xinjiang military region, is slated to lead the Chinese delegation.

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Mr.Singh also said that India’s timely actions had foiled the attempts to change the status quo in Pangong Tso.

“I would like to assure Parliament that India will not step back from taking any harsh decision and that our forces are in a better position to retaliate,” Rajnath Singh said adding that China has built up war machines and troops near LAC.

During his address, Singh also said that China continues to illegally occupy a large area of Ladakh. “China continues to be in illegal occupation of approx 38,000 sq. kms in the Union Territory of Ladakh. In addition, under the so-called Sino-Pakistan ‘Boundary Agreement’ of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 sq. km. of Indian territory in PoK to China. China also claims approximately 90,000 sq. kms. of Indian territory in the Eastern Sector of the India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese actions reflect a disregard of our various bilateral agreements,” Singh said.

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The handover took place in the Chinese territory and it will take over an hour for the team to reach the Indian side and enter Arunachal Pradesh through Kibithu border post.

“The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location,” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had tweeted.

The five men who had been missing since September 1 were hunters, the army had said in a statement. Their families and locals, however, said they were porters.

Earlier this week, the Chinese Army had confirmed their presence in the country.

“As a result of persistent efforts of Indian Army, five missing hunters from Indian side of LAC in Upper Subansiri, who had inadvertently crossed over to other side on 2 September 2020, were traced. Chinese Army on September 8 responded on hotline and confirmed that the missing Indians have been found on their side,” the Army had said in a statement.

The army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police uses locals as porters, guides and scouts during Long-range patrols (LRPs). They need help from porters to carry supplies at all strategic points along the McMahon Line, the effective border between India and China.

Sources say porters and guides after dropping off cargo at forward posts often go to higher altitude to hunt for deer or collect herbs like “gumba”. The musk deer and the gumba, a traditional medicine, have big prices in the international grey market. It is possible the five men strayed away while looking to hunt or collect herbs.

India and China have been locked in a military stand-off in eastern Ladakh since May 2020, when PLA intruded into Indian territory. Several rounds of military and ministerial talks have led to only partial Chinese withdrawal from the Galwan Valley, where, in June, 20 Indian soldiers had died in the line of duty in a clash with Chinese troops.

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