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5th November 2024 (12 Topics)

Verification Patrolling in Despang

Context

The Indian Army has conducted the first round of patrolling in the Depsang area along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), after conducting similar patrols in Demchok, following the consensus reached between the Indian and Chinese sides for disengagement and resumption of patrolling in the region. The Army now has “unrestricted access” to the five PPs in Depsang and two in Demchok.

Patrolling Points

  • Depsang and Demchok were the last two friction points during the four and half years long tense stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh.
  • Since the LAC flare-up, the PLA troops blocked India’s access to five patrolling points in Depsang– PP 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13 – that are close to the LAC. 
  • The area including Dault Beg Oldie airbase is a part of what is known as Sub Sector North in the India military parlance. 
  • East of the Depsang plain lies Aksai Chin, an area illegally occupied by China since the 1950s. The region is strategically important not only due to its proximity to Siachen glacier and Karakoram range, but also because of the flat nature of the terrain. 
  • The five patrolling points are located in an area called bottleneck which opens on a flat area that gives India a vantage point to keep an eye on two crucial Chinese roads connecting Tibet with Xinjiang.

Fact Box:

Depsang Plains

  • The Depsang Plains are located close to the strategically important Daulat Beg Oldie.
  • The crucial Sub-Sector North (SSN) consists of the Depsang plains and Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO). Currently, the airfield at DBO is accessible by the 255 km-long Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DSDBO) road.
  • In Depsang Plains, Chinese troops have been blocking Indian Army patrols from going up to the PPs 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 13, beyond the Y junction.
  • Chinese build-up in this area threatens Indian positions at DBO and also brings Chinese troops closer to the DSDBO road.
  • Depsang is also close to the Karakoram pass overlooking the strategic Saltoro ridge and Siachen glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.
  • The Depsang Plains issue began in 2013 when China carried out an 18-km incursion in the area.

Demchok

  • Demchok is in the southern part of eastern Ladakh. In Demchok, the problem is mainly at the Charding Ninglung Nullah (CNN) junction.

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