File image of Pangong Lake in Ladakh
Highlight
- A new satellite image has emerged of China building a bridge across the Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
- Indian, Chinese armies create buffer zone in Galwan Valley after deadly skirmish on June 15, 2020
- The bridge is at a distance of about 40 km from the alignment of LAC: Source
A new satellite image of China building a bridge across the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh surfaced on Monday amid the long-running Sino-India military standoff in the border region.
People familiar with the development said the satellite imagery is of an area on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Galwan Valley region. The armies of India and China created a buffer zone in the Galwan Valley after their deadly skirmishes on June 15, 2020.
On January 1, Indian and Chinese soldiers exchanged sweets and greetings at 10 border posts along the LAC, including in eastern Ladakh, to mark the new year.
Sources said the bridge is about 40 km from the alignment of the LAC in the region and India is also rapidly developing infrastructure in the region.
Geo-intelligence expert Damien Simon posted a satellite image on Twitter that suggested a new bridge was being built by China to connect the north and south shores of Pangong Lake.
Military experts said the purpose of building the bridge in the Khurnak area could be to ensure that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is able to quickly mobilize its troops in the region.
Indian military sources said that India is developing infrastructure in all key areas along the LAC and India is aware of Chinese activities in the region.
Last week, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Chisumle-Demchok road on the Umling La pass at an altitude of over 19,000 feet in Ladakh, which is considered an important route for military purpose.
China is focusing on strengthening its military infrastructure after Indian troops took control of several strategic peaks on the southern bank of Pangong Lake in August 2020, when the Chinese PLA attempted to intimidate them in the area.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the armies of India and China began on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake area.
Both sides gradually increased their deployment by carrying thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weapons. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides last year completed the demilitarization process on the northern and southern shores of Pangong Lake and in the Gogra region.
Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive area.
The 13th round of Corps Commander-level military talks in October ended in a standoff with the Indian Army saying “constructive suggestions” made by it were not acceptable to the Chinese side.
The Defense Ministry last Friday said it held several rounds of military talks with the Chinese side to defuse the situation in eastern Ladakh, without compromising on its stand of “complete disengagement and immediate restoration of status quo”. India has been insisting on returning to the status quo that existed before the face-off.
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