For over 2 weeks, Chinese action has been focused on the south bank of Pangong lake. (Representational)
The situation at Ladakh's south Pangong lake "can take any trajectory" and it is the Chinese leadership and not the local commanders who are controlling the situation, top government sources have said. The sources also said there has been action in the northern bank of the Pangong lake and the Indian army now controls the strategic heights there. India, sources said, will retaliate if its defences on heights are breached, "nowhere are we under-prepared presently".
The Indian Army is now dominating the heights on Chinese deployment on Finger 4, on the north bank of the Pangong lake. Finger 4 is the where the Line of Actual Control -- the de facto border between India and China -- lies and the place where the Chinese army has been pushing in. Now the Indians occupy the heights and the distance between soldiers of the two sides is a "few hundred meters", sources said.
There are 8 distinctive "Fingers" or mountain spurs located along the banks of the high-altitude glacial lake in eastern Ladakh.
So far, the Chinese action has largely been focused on the south bank of Pangong lake, where 5,000 to 7,000 of their soldiers are stationed. Over the last two weeks, Chinese troops have made repeated efforts to regain heights in the south bank of Pangong Lake – areas that were previously peaceful.
But India was able to "prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo" at the LAC, the government had said.
It is being anticipated that the Chinese will "try to do something to regain lost ground", and their actions are "being controlled by their top, not local exuberant commanders", the sources said.
"Why the Chinese are opening so many fronts, we don't understand," sources said. The army has now put barbed wire on Indian positions. "If Chinese try to cross it'll be crossing a red-line," officials said.
The Chinese efforts at intimidation are happening "almost on a daily basis", sources said, pointing out that the Chinese have built-up a "sizeable number of air assets" in the area that has few roads.
The Chinese have amassed more than 150 aircraft, helicopters in t7he eastern Ladakh theatre, sources said. In case of escalation, "there will be a price to pay on both sides".
Sources said the two nations have agreed on another corps commander-level meeting, but its date is yet to be decided.
