India strengthens troop presence in northern Ladakh

New Delhi, Aug. 3: In response to China’s deployment of more than 17,000 troops and armoured vehicles opposite Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Depsang plains in Ladakh, India has made heavy deployment of troops and tank regiments in the area to counter any misadventure by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

“We have done a very heavy deployment of troops and tanks in the DBO and Depsang plains area including the T-90 regiments which are part of an armoured division,” government sources told ANI.

The deployments have been made from the Patrolling Point 1 near the Karakoram Pass (PP3) to the Depsang plains where the Chinese have amassed more than 17,000 troops since April-May time frame and have been blocking Indian patrols from PP-10 to PP-13, sources said.

The armoured deployment is such that the Chinese would find it difficult

◗ INDIA AND CHINA are engaged in a dialogue focusing on disengagement from Finger area and other friction points but Chinese build-up along the LAC in Depsang plains and DBO area has not yet been taken up in military talks

to operate there in case they try out any misadventure, they said.

Before the Chinese started build-up opposite the DBO and Depsang, the entire area was looked after by a mountain brigade and an armoured brigade but today more than 15,000 troops and several tank regiments have been moved there both by road and by air to tackle the threat from China, sources said.

One of the major intentions of the Chinese in this area has been to build a road from its TWD battalion headquarters opposite the DBO sector to the Karakoram pass area and connect the battalion there.