The failure of three months of military and diplomatic dialogue in persuading Beijing to withdraw its troops from Eastern Ladakh was underlined on Sunday when hundreds of soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) crossed into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) south of Pangong Tso lake, occupied a mountain called Helmet Top and began building fortifications.
Credible government sources say Indian soldiers from the nearby Thakung post intervened, to try and prevent the PLA from building defences. Physical clashes followed, though there are no reports of firing or casualties on either side.
Sources say, the PLA now occupies Helmet Top, as well as a nearby feature called Black Top, both of which are on the Indian side of the LAC. From here, Chinese soldiers can observe and track Indian movements across the Pangong lake and as far away as India’s tactically vital Chushul garrison.
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