Boosting Northeast Border Surveillance: Four More ITBP Battalions To Be Deployed In Arunachal Pradesh Before Xi Jinping's India Visit

In a move aimed at bolstering security along the 3,488-km India-China border, four newly established battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) are set to be deployed in Arunachal Pradesh, reported Economc Times.

This decision comes amid the ongoing border talks between the two nations, ahead of the Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to India for the G-20 summit, scheduled to take place from 9 to 10 September.

The Union cabinet had previously granted approval for the creation of seven new battalions and an operational border base, increasing the strength of ITBP by 9,400 personnel.

According to the ET report, four out of the seven authorised battalions are ready for deployment, with ongoing efforts to raise the remaining three battalions.

The remaining three ITBP battalions will be raised before the 2025 deadline.

The new troops are slated to be stationed at 47 freshly established border outposts (BOPs) and a dozen new 'staging camps' spanning the northern frontier of India.

The heightened security measures hold particular significance in view of the standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies in Ladakh since 2020.

Emphasizing the geographical distribution of the deployment, officials highlighted that 34 of the planned 47 BOPs will be strategically situated in the challenging and inhospitable terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, while the remaining outposts will be positioned in the western theater.

This move aims to enhance the capability of the ITBP in rotating troops between forward positions and units in the mainland.

Currently, at each of the 180 BOPs with a troop strength of 140 soldiers, troop rotations occur every three months.

Furthermore, the staging camp adds another dimension to the deployment plan.

These staging camps are designed to offer essential resources such as rations, logistics, and accommodations for ITBP personnel engaged in long-range patrols along the rugged Himalayan frontier.

By acting as temporary BOPs, these staging camps effectively reduce the distance between border outposts, facilitating smoother operations in the arduous terrain.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police, with the Indian Army, holds the responsibility of safeguarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.