CHINESE TROOPS SEEN ALONG LINE OF CONTROL IN PAKISTAN-OCCUPIED KASHMIR

SRINAGAR: After frequent incursions in Ladakh area, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops have been spotted at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) on the Pakistani side of Kashmir, ringing alarm bells in the security grid.

The Army has spotted the presence of senior PLA officials at the forward posts opposite Nowgam sector in North Kashmir, after which some intercepts of Pakistani army officers suggested the Chinese troops had come to create some infrastructure along the LoC, sources said on Sunday.

The Army has officially maintained complete silence on the issue but has been constantly updating various intelligence agencies about the presence of PLA troops along the LoC.

The PLA troops were first spotted in the later part of the last year and ever since their presence was witnessed opposite Tangdhar sector as well. In this area, Chinese governmentowned China Gezhouba Group Company Limited has been building a Jhelum-Neelum 970 MW Hydel power project. The hydel project is being built in response to India’s Kishanganga power project in Bandipore of North Kashmir.

The intercepts also suggested that Chinese PLA would be digging some tunnels in Leepa Valley, located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), to build an all-weather road that will serve as an alternate route to reach Karakoram Highway.