China attempts to open new front in Ladakh’s Depsang, inputs confirm movement on ground

Chinese mobilisation in parts of eastern Ladakh indicates that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could open a fresh front in Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Depsang Sectors.

Sources tell India Today that data has confirmed Chinese mobilisation east of DBO. Camps and vehicles were spotted near the Chinese base in June. The Chinese base in question was erected prior to 2016 but new camps and vehicle tracks in the region were seen only this month in satellite images and the same was confirmed by tracking movement on the ground.

MAP SHOWING DISTANCE OF DBO & DEPSANG FROM CHINESE BASE WHERE MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN NOTICED

India had mobilized in Depsang in late-May, expecting Chinese movement in this sector. Depsang was the area where the PLA had intruded in 2013.

CLOSE UP OF THE CHINESE BASE WITH ARROWS POINTING TO CAMPS, VEHICLE TRACKS ETC THAT ESTABLISH ACTIVITY

On Wednesday, a border meeting was held between India and China. The meeting was attended by Members of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC). Since the military build-up on both sides of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in May of this year, several military and diplomatic level talks have been held between the two countries.

CLOSE UP OF THE CHINESE BASE WITH ARROWS POINTING TO CAMPS, VEHICLE TRACKS ETC THAT ESTABLISH ACTIVITY

The most important of these discussions were held on June 6 at the Moldo border personnel meeting point where both sides discussed de-escalation and disengagement. However, the meet was followed by a violent face-off between troops from both sides in the Galwan Valley on the night of June 15. This resulted in 20 Indian soldiers getting killed in the line of duty.