Indian Army consolidates position at several areas in Chushul; fencing done to prevent intrusion by China's PLA

NEW DELHI: Amid reports of the latest confrontation between the Indian Army and China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) at Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army has reportedly consolidated its position at several key points in the Chushul area. 

According to information, the Indian Army has laid barbed wire around the peak which it has occupied, so as to prevent the Chinese army from approaching. In the last meeting held with Chinese authorities, it was conveyed from the Indian side that if China tries to repeat the Galwan Valley like incident again, the Indian Army won't sit silent.

According to reports, Chinese Army were spotted at the general area near the LAC with rods and sharp-edged weapons on Monday night. Armed Chinese soldiers were spotted at some post of LAC. Shocked and disturbed by the action and alert Indian Army, China has been continuously making failed attempts to infiltrate Indian territory. 

Earlier in the day, the Army said Chinese troops fired shots in the air and attempted to close in on an Indian position in eastern Ladakh a day earlier as it rejected charges by China's PLA that it transgressed across the LAC.

The remarks by the Army came after the PLA late on Monday night alleged that the Indian troops crossed the LAC and "outrageously fired" warning shots near the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

The use of firearms along the LAC marks a serious escalation in border tensions as the previous instance of shots being fired at the de-facto border was in 1975.

India and China exchanged accusations just four days after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe held talks in Moscow on ways to ease tensions at the border. They met last Friday on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.

Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs termed as false reports in Chinese media attributing some comments to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. "We have seen reports in Chinese state media, including in China Daily and Huanqiu Shibao (Global Times), which had attributed some comments to NSA Shri Ajit Doval. These reports are completely false and are not based in facts. We urge the media to refrain from such speculative reporting," it said in a release.

Tensions escalated manifold along the LAC in eastern Ladakh after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35.

The border situation deteriorated again after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30.