Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): The Srinagar-Leh highway has been closed for civilian movement after fresh attempts by the Chinese troops to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake along LAC in eastern Ladakh, a move that was thwarted by the Indian Army.

A senior police official said that the highway was closed for the civilian traffic due to landslides but evaded the query on how Army convoy was being allowed on the same track. “Let the weather improve, civilian traffic will be allowed too,” he said while refusing to elaborate further.

Witnesses told NVI that a huge Army convoy movement was witnessed on the Srinagar-Leh highway after fresh skirmishes at eastern Ladakh between Indian and Chinese troops on the intervening night of last Saturday and Sunday.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), Ganderbal, Muhammad Khalil Poswal, said that the highway was closed only for the clearance work as landslides have occurred due to the downpour. “Once the weather improves civilian vehicles will be allowed to move,” he said, adding that there was no need to panic and the situation was well under control.

Furthermore, passengers who were on the way to Leh from Srinagar said that only civilian vehicles were stopped at Gagangeer-Manigam check-post in Sonmarg and other points while Army vehicles were smoothly plying on the highway.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Army in its statement issued stated that Chinese troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo at the southern bank of Pangong Tso lake.

“On the night of 29/30 August 2020, PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo,” the Indian Army spokesman said in a statement.

“Indian troops pre-empted the PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” the spokesman added.

He asserted that the Indian Army is determined to protect the country’s territorial integrity while remaining committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue.

A Brigade Commander-level Flag Meeting was also underway at Chushul to resolve the issues, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, defence sources revealed that heavy troops movement on the Srinagar- highway as part of the reinforcement to the already existing army corps in Leh can’t be ruled out.

“If situation deteriorates, further military movement as part of the reinforcement to the Leh Corps is on cards and the only surface link to send reinforcement is Srinagar-Leh road,” they said.

The armies of the two countries have been in a face-off situation for last four months, triggered by China’s aggressive actions at multiple points in the Eastern Ladakh sector in early May. On one occasion, the militaries of the two countries engaged in a bloody fight on June 15, in which India lost 20 soldiers, including a Colonel. China also suffered an unspecified number of casualties.

Over these last four months, several rounds of talks have been held at military and diplomatic levels but China has refused to pull back its troops from the friction points, in its attempt to change the status quo at the LAC.

-CHK/ARK