Army chief reviews operational situation in eastern Ladakh, even as PP-15 disengagement takes place | India News
NEW DELHI: Army chief General Manoj Pande on Saturday reviewed the operational preparedness along the frontier in eastern Ladakh while also witnessing a combat exercise, even as Indian and Chinese troops disengage from the stand-off at Patrolling Point-15 in the larger Gogra-Hot Springs area.
The phased and coordinated troop disengagement at PP-15 near the Kugrang Nallah, which began on Thursday morning, is slated to be completed on Monday. The overall de-escalation and de-induction of troops in the continuing over 28-month-long military confrontation with China in the high-altitude region, however, is still nowhere in sight.
On a two-day trip to the operational areas under the crucial Leh-based 14 Corps, Gen Pande visited `forward areas’ along the Line of Actual Control with China in eastern Ladakh on Saturday. He also witnessed the ongoing ‘Parvat Prahar’ exercise, which includes ground forces, tanks, mechanized infantry, artillery, helicopters and aircraft, in the `depth areas’.
The Army chief was briefed on the overall security situation as well as the disengagement process at PP-15 by top commanders, including Northern Command chief Lt-General Upendra Dwivedi and 14 Corps commander Lt-General Anindya Sengupta.
“The ongoing disengagement at PP-15 is being closely monitored by both the armies. Apart from the pullback of the rival troops, the process involves dismantling of temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by the two sides, along with mutual verification,” an officer said.
On Sunday, Gen Pande is slated to go to the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, where Indian and Pakistani troops face each other along the 110-km actual ground position line.
On the China front, while troop disengagement has taken place at PP-14 (Galwan Valley), PP-17A (Gogra) and the Pangong Tso-Kailash Range region, and is now being followed by PP-15, the much bigger stand-off at the strategically-located Depsang Bulge area remains a major operational problem. Similarly, the `friction’ at the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction at Demchok is also yet to be defused.
The phased and coordinated troop disengagement at PP-15 near the Kugrang Nallah, which began on Thursday morning, is slated to be completed on Monday. The overall de-escalation and de-induction of troops in the continuing over 28-month-long military confrontation with China in the high-altitude region, however, is still nowhere in sight.
On a two-day trip to the operational areas under the crucial Leh-based 14 Corps, Gen Pande visited `forward areas’ along the Line of Actual Control with China in eastern Ladakh on Saturday. He also witnessed the ongoing ‘Parvat Prahar’ exercise, which includes ground forces, tanks, mechanized infantry, artillery, helicopters and aircraft, in the `depth areas’.
The Army chief was briefed on the overall security situation as well as the disengagement process at PP-15 by top commanders, including Northern Command chief Lt-General Upendra Dwivedi and 14 Corps commander Lt-General Anindya Sengupta.
“The ongoing disengagement at PP-15 is being closely monitored by both the armies. Apart from the pullback of the rival troops, the process involves dismantling of temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by the two sides, along with mutual verification,” an officer said.
On Sunday, Gen Pande is slated to go to the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region, where Indian and Pakistani troops face each other along the 110-km actual ground position line.
On the China front, while troop disengagement has taken place at PP-14 (Galwan Valley), PP-17A (Gogra) and the Pangong Tso-Kailash Range region, and is now being followed by PP-15, the much bigger stand-off at the strategically-located Depsang Bulge area remains a major operational problem. Similarly, the `friction’ at the Charding Ninglung Nallah (CNN) track junction at Demchok is also yet to be defused.
