Army admits Chinese patrols crossing LAC

Central Chronicle ^ | September 14, 2003

[Prodigal Son]

LEH: Admitting that Chinese patrols do come across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region, a top army official has ruled out any "turbulence" on the India-China border in Jammu and Kashmir. "The Chinese Army is indeed under- taking patrols across Line of Actual Control in Ladakh due to difference of perception of real LAC in the past," Lt Gen Arvind Sharma GOC of the Leh-based strategic 14 Corps told reporters here yesterday.

Sharma, who heads the world's most sensitive corps sharing bor- ders with China and Pakistan strategically, said "there are certain areas of difference the way Chinese view the LAC and the way we view it". "It is in these areas their cross-border pa- trols also do come across, so do our patrols," he said, adding there was regular interaction between both the countries.

Indians lodge a protest with China every time its patrols come across the LAC, Sharma said and added that there was no "turbu- lence" in Ladakh as a result of these violations.

To a question about China's reported concern over Indo-US exer- cises in Ladakh, he said there was no concern at all, as the exercises are being conducted in the vicinity of Leh town.

When asked to comment on an incident in which a few Chinese motor boats on the Pongong lake threw pamphlets on the Indian side recently, the GOC said:" there was no such incident to my knowl- edge." Regarding the militancy threat in the Ladakh region,Lt.

Gen.Sharma said "militancy has not yet spilled over to this region and this is one of the tasks set out by me to my troops asking them to ensure militants do not make in-roads here." He said that no militancy related incident was reported here in past, but Pakistani efforts continue to try and engulf this area of Jammu and Kashmir as well into militancy.

It is with this aim, Pakistan resorts to shelling in Kargil sectors to infiltrate militants into this region in order to resort to violence here, he said and added it has failed so far.

" The border situation in Kargil -Siachen continues to be fluid as Pakistan continues shelling daily and some times targets civilian population leading to casualties and we respond to it," the GOC said.

[atc]

I'll bet this has something to do with it....

U.S. and Indian army personnel climb down a mountain during an Indo-U.S. joint military exercise in Leh, 434 kilometers (270 miles) northeast of Srinagar, September 11, 2003. A 31-member U.S. Army team is participating in a three-week mountain warfare exercise with their Indian counterparts in Indian Kashmir (news - web sites), 4,390 meters (14402 feet) above sea level near the Chinese border. REUTERS/Fayaz Kabli



An Indian army soldier (R) secures a rope for a U.S. soldier during an Indo-U.S. joint military exercise in Leh, 434 kilometers (270 miles) northeast of Srinagar, September 11, 2003. A 31-member team of U.S. army personnel is participating in a three-week mountain warfare exercise with their Indian counterparts in Indian Kashmir (news - web sites), 4390 meters (14402 feet) above sea level near the Chinese border. Picture taken September 11, 2003. REUTERS/Fayaz Kabli



US soldiers during a joint military exercise in Ladakh(AFP)