Following the 74-day military standoff with China at the Doklam sector in Sikkim earlier this year, the Sashastra Seema Bal on Wednesday said it has increased its strength along the India-Bhutan border, IANS reported. Director General Rajni Kant Mishra said several border outposts have been set up.

“SSB had no direct role to play in or after the Doklam standoff,” Mishra told reporters, according to Mint. “Our forces are stationed just below the tri-junction, but we are alert on the Indo-Bhutan border. We will increase our strength slightly on that front in the coming weeks and months.”

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The country’s youngest paramilitary force has been guarding the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders since 1963. The force has nearly 70 battalions.

“We have the sanctions to establish a total of 734 border outposts along both Nepal and Bhutan borders and we have 635 now on the ground,” Mishra was quoted by The Times of India as saying.

Meanwhile, SSB’s Inspector General (Operations) AK Singh said laser fences will be deployed in areas that are not inhabited because of its tough geographical terrain, as well as in areas that have reports of smuggling and militant activities.

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This comes at a time when New Delhi and Beijing is scheduled to hold border talks that will be attended by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

The Indo-China standoff at Doklam near the Sikkim border went on from June to August. The Doklam plateau is located near the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China. Both Thimphu and Beijing claim it as their territory.

Beijing and New Delhi both had maintained that troops from the other nation had transgressed into their territory. Bilateral ties were strained after the Indian Army stopped China from constructing a road in Doklam. On August 29, India announced that it was disengaging its troops from Doklam.