China forces open new front near Daulat Beg Oldi area

After Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley, the Chinese troops have now blocked the Indian Army’s patrolling near the Daulat Beg Oldi area, sources say. China is said to be active in this area between Patrolling Point 10 and 13.

 The alarming development came to light even when the Chinese have continued the buildup all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including the Finger area where they have strengthened themselves with more positions and constructions, even as India and China continue to talk.

China has set up camps near Daulat Beg Oldi area and Despang sector and this move has intensified the stir in these areas. According to sources, camps and roads have been built near Chinese Base which have been revealed from satellite images of June. At the same time, the Indian Army has also increased the deployment of troops in the Despang area.

Top sources exclusively told The Daily Guardian that China wanted to encroach the area near the Karakoram Pass. It has planned a route to a highway to Pakistan and Europe, which passes through the Shenzhen region in the Indian territory.

The sources also said that China’s effort in the Daulat Beg Oldi sector was to make it difficult for India and to stop Indian patrolling. It has also built a road near its base so that heavy vehicles and artillery can be easily reached near PP15, PP17 and PP17A adjacent to LAC.

 Even as India and China continue to talk, the Chinese have continued the build-up all along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) including the Finger area where they have strengthened themselves with more positions and constructions.

The Chinese Army started its build up along the LAC in eastern Ladakh sector from 4 May and deployed more than 10,000 troops along with heavy artillery, armoured regiments and defence batteries. “In the Finger area along the Pangong Tso lake, the Chinese have continued to indulge in heightened military activities like deployment of troops and construction,” ANI quoted a source as saying.             

The Indian side claims the areas up to Finger 8 but the Chinese Army during the recent face-offs have been blocking Indian Army patrols from going beyond Finger 4. The Chinese side has been aggressively trying to bring newer areas under its control in the Finger area, the sources said. The Daulat Beg Oldi area seems to be the latest entry into the list.

With agency inputs