China withdraws troops from 'depth areas'; India not to lower guard along LAC

China has withdrawn 10,000 troops from 'depth areas', but is maintaining frontline troops

India will not lower its guard along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in eastern Ladakh, notwithstanding reports about the communist country’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) withdrawing nearly 10000 troops from the “depth areas”.

The PLA purportedly withdrew 10,000 troops from the “depth areas” adjacent to the LAC – the de facto boundary between India and China in the western sector. But the military stand-off between the two nations remained unresolved, as the communist country did not pull back its front-line troops deployed on the “points of friction” with the Indian Army, a source told the DH.

With the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat, and the Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief, Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria, visiting Ladakh on Monday, New Delhi rather signalled that it would continue to maintain high degree of military preparedness along the disputed boundary between India and China and would not pull back troops along the LAC.

The reports about the Chinese PLA’s withdrawal of troops fuelled speculation about an imminent end to its eight-month-long stand-off with the Indian Army. But the sources in New Delhi said that it would not change the situation on the ground, as the soldiers of the two nations remained engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball stand-off on multiple points of frictions along the LAC. The Chinese Army had so far shown no sign of withdrawing the front-line troops from the face-off points, according to the reports received in New Delhi.

Another source in New Delhi said that the Chinese PLA might have thinned out troops from the “depth areas” along the LAC only due to harsh winter weather conditions and might redeploy them a few months later.

Gen Rawat was on Monday briefed by Lt Gen P G K Menon, the commander of the Indian Army’s 14 Corps, in Leh about the situation on the face-off points along LAC in eastern Ladakh. He was also briefed about the preparedness of the Indian Army personnel to counter any move by the PLA along the disputed boundary.

Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria joined Gen Rawat for a comprehensive discussion on operational matters with the senior IAF and the Indian Army commanders at the Air Force Station in Leh.

Bhadauria too visited the Indian Air Force (IAF) stations and the Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) in Ladakh on Monday. The IAF chief had interacted with field commanders and was briefed on operational preparedness and status of the deployed forces at airbases as well as in the forward areas, according to the sources in New Delhi.

The IAF chief also interacted with the IAF and the Indian Army personnel. He visited the military airfield at Thoise in Ladakh and reviewed the ongoing logistic operations for support and sustenance of the personnel of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in the winter season.

Both the Indian Army and the ITBP deployed a large number of troops along the LAC ever since the stand-off with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started more than eight months back.

Bhadauria visited the ALGs at Daultat Beg Oldie and Nyoma and was given a security overview in the respective sub-sectors. The IAF chief laid a wreath in homage to the fallen heroes.

The IAF chief conveyed his deep appreciation for the exceptionally high levels of morale and dedication with which all personnel continue to maintain operational preparedness; despite the harsh weather and inhospitable terrain, sources said.

The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Air Staff earlier visited forward locations along the McMahon Line – the disputed boundary between India and China in Arunachal Pradesh.