At a time when China is still reeling from how swiftly India changed its rules of engagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, India has now secured 6 more major heights on LAC. The latest development came at a time when some of the PLA troops have been stretchered off to a medical camp along the border due to their inability to withstand the high altitude and harsh winter.
According to top government sources speaking to ANI, the Indian Army has occupied six new major hill features on the LAC in the last three weeks. The Indian Armed Forces have successfully got hold of Magar hill, Gurung Hill, Recehen La, Rezang La, Mokhpari and the dominating height over Chinese positions near Finger 4.
“The Indian Army has occupied six new heights between August 29 and the second week of September. The new hill features being occupied by our troops include the Magar hill, Gurung Hill, Recehen La, Rezang La, Mokhpari and the dominating height over Chinese positions near Finger 4,” reported ANI quoting top government sources.
The report further claims that the Chinese were eyeing to sit on the dormant but dominating heights before the Indian Armed Forces gave the PLA troops a shock by occupying the dominating heights before they could even make a move.
India also foiled Chinese attempts of occupying the heights which led to firing of bullets in the air on at least three occasions.
Shocked and cornered by India’s swift move, the PLA has deployed around 3,000 additional troops of its combined arms brigade near the Rezang la and Rechen La heights with the Moldo garrison of the Chinese Army also has being fully activated.
India waited to bide its time and has decide to strike back just before the onset of winter leaving the PLA troops in a bind who are grossly unprepared to survive the inhospitable winter along the LAC. In the last 2-3 days, the Indian Army has observed that some of the PLA troops are being evacuated on stretchers from the heights of Finger 4 to a field medical facility ahead of Finger 6 due to health complications linked to high altitude.
The Finger Area, a set of eight cliffs overlooking the Pangong lake is in the eye of the storm and the recent development further underlines the challenge of high altitude warfare as Chinese soldiers begin to fall like nine pins.
This is where India has a strategic advantage over China. While China blindly deputises its soldiers at the LAC, Indian soldiers along the border have undergone necessary acclimatisation to be deployed at high altitudes.
There is no match for Indian troops who know the Himalayan ranges at the back of their hand with high altitude not being a problem for Indian forces. While the Eastern LAC in Ladakh remains a daunting location, it is pertinent to note that Indian soldiers have held positions at even higher heights on the Siachen glacier – the world’s highest battlefield.
While India has Ladakhi, Tibetan and other highlander soldiers in its infantry who have grown up in the region, China has no such thing as China is occupying Tibet and committing unspeakable atrocities in the region. Tibetans have the extra motivation to defeat the Chinese occupation and there’s no question of Tibetans joining the PLA troops.
Keeping the onset of harsh winter in mind, India has activated its entire logistics network to transport supplies to its troops along the Eastern LAC.
The Indian military has already moved more than 150,000 tonnes of materials into Ladakh which includes vast quantities of ammunition, equipment, fuel, winter supplies and food.
The countdown for China has started, either battle the formidable Indian Armed Forces in the harsh winter fo which they aren’t acclimatised or restore the status quo by pulling back its troops. However, Xi Jinping the modern day Hitler, will risk obliterating his entire army before accepting defeat.