China:
NEW DELHI: Even as talks for deescalation were on at the military level, the Chinese side seems to have carried out a move of deception by bringing in several hundred soldiers and heavy construction equipment into the Galwan valley, latest satellite images and ground reports reveal.
Border talks carried out on Wednesday at the Major General-level to defuse the situation have also failed, indicating that the Chinese side is not looking to disengage. More talks are planned in the coming days but there has been no resolution on the ground situation that remains tense.
Sources said that despite earlier talks in which it was decided that the two sides would move back by a kilometre and create a temporary ‘no man’s land’ in the valley, the Chinese side has brought in additional troops and continues to remain deployed inside Indian territory near Patrol Point 14.
These People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were among the 800 odd soldiers who laid ambush on an Indian patrol party, killing 20 soldiers including the commanding officer on Monday night.
Satellite images from Tuesday show scores of vehicles used to transport troops, heavy construction equipment and tents for forward deployed soldiers. Satellite imagery expert Col Vinayak Bhat (retd) says that the images indicate at least one combined arms brigade has been deployed along the river and the build up has increased over the past few days.
As reported by ET, Chinese troops have intruded up to 3 km in the Galwan area and are dominating the heights that threatens the strategic Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road. Col Bhat (retd) says that the intention of the Chinese could possibly be to attempt and capture the entire Galwan valley and its confluence point with the Shyok river, along which the Indian road runs.
Similar reports of a continued build up near the Gogra post, where the Chinese side has infiltrated at least 2 km across the LAC, are coming in even as the Indian side had made adequate adjustments on its side of the border.
The Gogra post has also been brought under Chinese artillery range after the PLA moved ahead and deployed at least 12 guns on its side of the border. A tough situation also continues at the Finger area along Pangong Tso lake and the Depsang plains where PLA troops have been deployed in strength.
Sources said that the occupation of Finger 4 — located over 5 km inside Indian claimed territory — continues at strength with bunkers at the crest and the base of the finger manned by Chinese soldiers with high powered rifles.