Indian Army chief Manoj Mukund Naravane on Friday said that the situation along the Line of Actual Control was “slightly tense” and precautionary measures were taken to increase security, ANI reported. Naravane made the remarks on the second day of his visit to Ladakh, where Indian and Chinese soldiers have been engaged in a border confrontation for months.
“The situation along the LAC is slightly tense,” Naravane said. “Keeping in view of the situation, we have undertaken some precautionary deployments for our own safety and security, so that our security and integrity remain safeguarded.”
The Army chief added that border stand-off with China could be resolved through talks and that the Indian personnel are “highly motivated” after visiting several forward areas. “Their morale is high and they are fully prepared to deal with any situation that may arise,” he added. “Our officers and men are the finest in the world and will make not only the Army but also the nation proud.”
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said a solution for the continuing tensions along the Line of Actual Control with China has to be found through diplomacy. The foreign minister’s comments came two days after the Ministry of External Affairs accused Chinese troops of taking “provocative actions” along the Line of Actual Control. On August 31, the Indian Army had said its soldiers had thwarted similar “provocative” movements by China’s military in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.
Reports said the Indian Army has dominated some unoccupied heights in Chushul sector to pre-empt Chinese soldiers. Officers from both India and China have held a series of talks to de-escalate tensions, but the dialogue has yielded no result so far.
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