New Delhi: Undeterred by the destruction of the post by Indian troops on June 15, the Chinese have re-erected the observation post despite an agreement between the two sides to pull back, defence sources confirmed.
The removal of the post was the trigger of the clash between the two armies that killed 20 Indian soldiers last week. Meanwhile, tensions are also brewing in Depsang, where the PLA are believed to have blocked Indian patrols from going to Patrol Points 11, 12 and 13, an indication that the Chinese have transgressed into this area too.
However, no official reaction came from the Army.
Following an understanding between the two sides after the clash at Galwan Valley, the Indians had pulled back from the area, which is close to Patrol Point 14, around half-a-kilometre from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), sources said. The Chinese were also supposed to do the same.
However, during the next patrol, Indians observed that the Chinese observation post had come back at exactly the same point, the sources added.
The issue, the sources said, was discussed during the Corps Commander-level talks held between India and China on June 22, where the two sides had agreed to pursue step-wise de-escalation in the area.
The Chinese have laid claim to the area and said that the post is on their territory, the sources added.
Reports of what appears to be a fresh provocation from China come on a day when the country’s foreign and defence ministries issued statements blaming Indians for the June 15 clash and asserting that Galwan Valley belonged to them.
China’s continued aggression at Galwan Valley comes even as it raises challenges for Indian patrol teams in the Depsang Plains, which also lie along the western sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), especially near Patrol Points 11, 12 and 13.
Sources said India and China have both increased deployment in the Depsang Plains, an area located close to the strategic air base Daulat Beg Oldi.
Asked about the situation at Depsang, the sources said the Chinese have deployed additional tanks and moved them slightly forward from their usual positions. But they are still away from the LAC, the sources added.
Even so, the sources said, soldiers of the Peoples Liberation Army have moved a few kilometres into what is locally known as the “bottleneck area” on the Indian side and are sitting at heights, creating a threatening situation for Indian soldiers at Patrol Points 11, 12 and 13.
