Defence Minister's Ladakh visit with CDS & COAS to review LAC situation to be rescheduled

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Leh on July 3 to review situation in Eastern Ladakh has been rescheduled for a later date and revised date will be anunced soon. Defence Minister was scheduled to visit Leh along with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane to review situation in view of Chinese aggression along Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

This would have been Defence Minister's first visit to Ladakh since faceoff with China commenced, which has been postponed. However, Army chief General Naravane has visited Ladakh for two days in previous week to take stock of on-ground situation. He even interacted with soldiers injured in LAC violent faceoff at Military Hospital in Leh and houred m. 

Rajnath Singh had travelled to Russia a week earlier to participate in Victory Day parade to mark 75 years of allied victory in second world war.

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Indo-China Galwan clash

Even as both armies are on alert while deploying ir forces along LAC, third military-level talks were held between military commanders of two armies on June 30 at Moldo to discuss issues pertaining to disengment process between two armies. As per sources, talks were held in a business-like manner in view of COVID-19 protocols. Sources added that both sides stressed that priority was on an expeditious, phased, and stepwise de-escalation.  third round of talks between senior military commanders reflected commitment of both sides to reduce tensions along LAC, sources added.

20 Indian Army soldiers including Colonel Santhosh Babu were martyred in violent faceoff against Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh region. As per US intelligence reports, 35 Chinese PLA personnel were killed during faceoff whereas intercepts say over 40 casualties suffered by hostile neighbour. Sources revealed that  Indian colonel was attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods without any provocation leading to hand-to-hand combat between hundreds of personnel.

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