New Delhi: India’s army chief on Monday said the country is not keen on reducing troop numbers along the northern border in winter, adding that a decision on the summer deployment will be based on the outcome of talks with China. will be done
In 2020, border clashes between the neighbors killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers after both sides suspended patrols at several border points in Ladakh to avoid fresh clashes while the countries deployed thousands of troops and military equipment. And the equipment was moved near the frozen mountain area. border
An agreement was signed between New Delhi and Beijing in October 2023 to resolve the four-year-old military standoff, and troops were withdrawn from the disputed border days later.
“During winter deployments, troop numbers are reduced. So at least in the winter strategy, we do not see any reduction in troop numbers,” Army Chief Upinder Dwivedi told reporters in New Delhi. Not looking forward to it.”
Dwivedi said the decision on the summer deployment would depend on how talks and negotiations with China progress.
“When it comes to the summer strategy, we will review based on time how many talks and meetings have been held,” he said.
India and China share a poorly demarcated border that runs along the Himalayas and has been a source of tension between the neighbors for decades, including a brief but bloody war in 1962.
Since 1991, a series of diplomatic negotiations and agreements have stabilized relations, and trade and business ties have increased since the clashes in the summer of 2020.