India Blocks China’s Attempt To Alter Status Quo In Ladakh’s Pangong Lake

WEB DESK

In a major flare-up in Ladakh, Chinese troops “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” near Pangong Tso on Saturday night but they were blocked by Indian soldiers, the government said today.

The incidents took place overnight between August 29 and 30, according to a statement by the Army.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops “violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” said the statement.

“Indian troops preempted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” it said.

The statement asserted that the army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, “but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity”.

A Brigade Commander-level meeting is on at Chushul to defuse tension, the government said.