New Delhi: With Chinese forces intruding nearly 10 km inside Indian territory in Ladakh, India is likely to send an army contingent to the area to be on guard even though it wants to avoid a confrontation. Indian Army had earlier sent a team of Ladakh Scouts - an infantry regiment specialising in mountain warfare - to the Daulat Beg Oldi sector, manned by the troops of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) - soon after it was discovered that the Chinese troops had set up a camp there.
Additional troops may be deployed in the area if the situation does not de-escalate and Chinese troops do not go back to their old position, sources said. A platoon-strength contingent of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) had come 10 km inside the Indian territory in Burthe in DBO sector, located at an altitude of about 17,000 feet, on the night of April 15 and established a tented post there.
A Chinese Army Platoon usually consists of around 50 troops. India and China today conducted second round of flag-meeting in the area since the incursion was reported and asked the Chinese side to revert to the status quo position.
The first meeting was held on April 18. On earlier occasions, the Indian and Chinese troops had transgressed into each other's territory due to differences in perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Defence Ministry had earlier also maintained that the LAC is not properly demarcated in some areas.
ITBP troops have also established a camp approximately 300 m opposite the Chinese location and is monitoring the development. DBO, located in northernmost Ladakh, is an historic camp site and located on an ancient trade route connecting Ladakh to Yarkand in Xinjiang, China.
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