Despite the winter setting in when military activity normally turns low-ley, the Indian Army is not taking any chances on the close to 3,500 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as the PLA has brought in three armed brigades as reserves to bolster its troop buildup.

A Hindustan Times report cited senior officials as saying that the three armed brigades were deployed just a month before the 20th Party Congress of Communist Party of China (CPC) in the eastern sector. Each brigade has around 4,500 troops.

“It is understood that one combined armed brigade is deployed as reserve by PLA around Phari Dzong area across the Silliguri Corridor near the China-Bhutan border and two other PLA brigades are deployed across Arunachal Pradesh.” the report states.

The Indian Army is reported to be closely tracking the movement of these three brigades for its  deployment plans in the winter.

On November 12, Army Chief General Manoj Pande had said the situation in eastern Ladakh is stable but unpredictable and in spite of the onset of winter, there is no significant reduction in the Chinese army’s force levels on the Line of Actual Control (LAC),

In reply to a question at the ‘Chanakya Dialogues’ in Delhi, the Army chief said that talks were going on at the political, diplomatic and military level between the two sides. Because of these talks, we have been able to find resolution in five of the seven friction points which were on the table. And it is for the next two friction points that we are trying to find a resolution,” he added.

To resolve the remaining issues along the LAC, it has been agreed to hold the 17th round of talks between senior military commanders of the two countries at an early date.

The Army Chief said the force’s transition to the winter posture is underway but “we have also made sure that we have adequate forces to deal with any contingency.”