Army chief: ‘We are foiling infiltration attempts along LoC; talks continue to find resolution to issues in eastern Ladakh’

General Pande further said that India is continuing to hold “talks at military and diplomatic levels to find resolution to balanced issues” in eastern Ladakh, where Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff that began in 2020. “Situation on the northern border is stable but sensitive,” he said.

Last week, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had also stated that though China’s relationship with India was “not normal”, the two sides have continued to hold talks.

In the 20th round of military talks held in October 2023, both sides had agreed to maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through various military and diplomatic mechanisms, while committing to maintain peace and tranquillity on the ground in the interim, according to a statement issued by the government.

The Indian Army’s “operational preparedness (in eastern Ladakh) is very high, and deployment is both robust and balanced,” General Pande added.

He also flagged that the situation along Indo-Myanmar border was of “concern”. “We are closely watching developments there,” he said.

Speaking on the ensuing tension in Manipur, General Pande said, “The Northeast has witnessed positive developments in the last year because of the proactive policies of the government. The violence parameters have overall come down. Manipur witnessed violence in May last year but with the combined efforts by the state administration, Army and Assam Rifles have been able to stabilise the situation. We are working to normalise the situation and ensure stability.”