Indian Army May Soon Get Access To Some Patrolling Points At LAC Opposite China Border: Report

India and China are close to making progress in talks meant to resolve the four-year-long standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the Tibet border.

According to a report by The Indian Express, both sides have made "significant progress" in resolving all the outstanding issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

This includes potential solutions that take into account their respective positions prior to April 2020 and address current concerns in Arunachal. The Indian side can soon gain access to patrolling points that Indian forces were unable to access due to either obstruction by the Chinese forces or established buffer zones.

This breakthrough came during the 31st Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) talks held on 29 August in Beijing.

The 22nd round of Corps Commanders' talks are expected to be held shortly to frame the modalities of the deployment of troops on either side of the border based on the agreed-upon agreement.

To prevent clashes between the soldiers and to increase confidence, talks are also being held regularly between local commanders.

Additionally, the winter stocking for the 50,000 to 60,000 troops deployed at the LAC is in full swing.

There are also plans to raise an additional division — 72 Division — for deployment in eastern Ladakh. This newly created division will free the uniformed force of the Rashtriya Rifles to be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir. This division was earlier part of the 17 Mountain Strike Corps before being shelved due to lack of funds.

A division typically consists of 14,000-15,000 soldiers.

If raised, this division will likely be part of the Northern Command, which will exclusively be used for operations in eastern Ladakh.