Army, Navy, IAF chiefs review country's security preparedness

The powerful Chiefs of Staff Committee (CoSC) comprising chiefs of the Army, the Navy and the Indian Air Force today reviewed the security preparedness of the three services including along the Sino-India border, official sources said.

The standoff between armies of India and China in Dokalam and attempts by Chinese troops on Tuesday to enter the Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake in Ladakh were also discussed at the meeting, they said.

"Issues relating to the country's external security as well as situation along the borders were discussed," a source said.

The meeting came two days after Indian border guards foiled an attempt by Chinese soldiers to enter Indian territory along the banks of Pangong lake.
 

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to enter the Indian side in two areas-- Finger Four and Finger Five-- twice between. But on both the occasions their attempts were thwarted by alert Indian troops.

Personnel from both sides received minor injuries and the situation was brought under control after the customary banner drill under which both sides hold banners before stepping back to their respective positions.

The incident was discussed at a flag meeting between the two sides at Leh's Chusul sector yesterday.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter face-off at Dokalam in India-China-Bhutan tri-junction for little over two months.

China has been ramping up rhetoric against India, demanding immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from Dokalam. The Chinese state media, particularly, has carried a barrage of critical articles on the Dokalam stand-off slamming India.

In the face of heightened rhetoric by Beijing, India has poured in more troops along the entire stretch of its border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

The "caution level" among the troops has also been raised, according to officials.

The decision to increase the deployment along the nearly 1,400-km Sino-India border from Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh was taken after carrying out a detailed analysis of the situation and considering China's aggressive posturing against India on Dokalam, the officials had told PTI last week.