INDIA, CHINA DISPATCH MORE TROOPS TO LAC

NEW DELHI: China may have marshalled close to 5,000 soldiers on its side of the disputed border in the Ladakh sector where India has also sent military reinforcements to strengthen its defences as growing tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) threatens to plunge the bilateral relationship to a new low, people familiar with the development said on Monday.

Indian and Chinese soldiers are eyeball-to-eyeball at four locations along the LAC and several rounds of talks between local military commanders , including a meeting on Monday, have failed to end the standoff that began with a violent confrontation between rival patrols three weeks ago near Pangong Tso.

There have been troop reinforcements by China, around 5,000 of whose troops may now be present in the region, two officials said on condition of anonymity. The Chinese forces are not concentrated anywhere near the flashpoints, but scattered on their side, the officials said.

Sending the military reinforcements, including troops, vehicles and heavy equipment, did not require much effort as China diverted the resources from an ongoing military exercise in the region, said one of the officials cited above.

India is tracking all aspects of the Chinese deployments and parity in troop numbers is being ensured, said the second official cited above.