New Delhi - In response to the ongoing military standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India has intensified its efforts to bolster its military presence along the border. A significant escalation has been witnessed as the Indian Air Force (IAF) recently transported approximately 70,000 troops and heavy equipment, including tanks, artillery guns, and BMPs weighing over 9,000 tonnes, to the region.

Official sources report that the IAF orchestrated the movement of multiple divisions comprising over 68,000 ground forces and 300 BMPs with strategic airlift capabilities, alongside 100 tanks, immediately following the Galwan Valley incident. This extensive deployment also included the transportation of more than 9,000 tons of artillery guns.

This development emerges as the military confrontation between India and China along the LAC in eastern Ladakh enters its fourth consecutive year. Despite sustained diplomatic and military negotiations between the two nations, which resulted in disengagement at friction points post-2020 and the establishment of buffer zones, an estimated 50,000-60,000 troops remain stationed on both sides of the India-China border. Additionally, India has taken steps to enhance infrastructure development along the border.

In the upcoming discussions between Indian and Chinese army commanders, attention is likely to be focused on historical issues such as the Depsang Plains and Demchok in Atarti. This marks the 19th Army-level discussion between the two nations. This discussion coincides with the BRICS summit to be held in South Africa this month, where both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are slated to appear on the same platform. The bilateral talks between the two military forces were resumed on April 23, following earlier discussions between the Foreign Ministers and National Security Advisers of India and China.