Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is headed to LAC and LoC as he visits Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir on July 17-18. The Defence Minister will be visiting forward locations.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) and Line of Actual Control (LAC) in a two-day visit on July 17-18.
The visit to Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir assumes significance as it comes amid the twin threat from China and Pakistan. The defence minister will check and interact with field commanders to assess the ground situation, sources have said.
“The Defence Minister will visit forward areas both at LAC and LoC to get a sense of the situation against China and Pakistan,” said a government official.
The visit comes after the fourth round of Corps Commander-level talks concluded on Wednesday morning after a marathon 15-hour discussion between Indian and Chinese armies aimed at de-escalation.
The first round of disengagement in all friction areas was done as armies moved back by 2 km in Galwan Valley, Hot Springs and Gogra areas.
In Pangong Lake, the biggest flashpoint the two armies have pulled back. While the Chinese have moved from Finger 4 to Finger 5, India has maintained that LAC runs through Finger 8 and the Chinese will need to go beyond that.
The mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as fingers in military parlance.
Sources said after the marathon meeting, there are internal deliberations to finalise the disengagement plan discussed for the second phase.
Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a standoff since early May in Eastern Ladakh with both sides enhancing troop mobilisation and bring heavy weapon system like artillery guns and tanks close to the LAC.advertisement
While the initial disengagement in some of the volatile areas has taken place but de-induction of troops and heavy weapons is being seen as a measure for a final easing of tensions
