China tests a rocket near LAC that can hit critical Indian Army bases
2 min read . Updated: 22 Jul 2022, 09:06 AM IST
Premium- China's army tested an advanced Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) at an altitude of more than 5,300 metres in the Xinjiang Region that could hit critical Indian military bases
China's People's Liberation Army has reportedly tested a rocket near the Indian border along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) recently.
News agency ANI quoted local media and wrote that the PLA tested an advanced Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) at an altitude of more than 5,300 metres in the Xinjiang Region that could hit critical Indian military bases.
China is likely to deploy the PHL-16 MLRS on the Sino-Indian border, the media reported added.
"Chinese Army conducted a live-fire training assessment for a new type of rocket mine-laying vehicle, in the Xinjiang region close to the Indian border of the Xinjiang Military Region. The multiple launch rocket system is expected to be deployed in the Himalayas," as per the report.
The report comes hard on the hills of failed military talks between New Delhi and Beijing for the 16th time at the Chushul-Moldo border on Sunday.
On Sunday, the standoff between India and China at several friction points in eastern Ladakh continued. Indian and Chinese troops carried out the disengagement process in several areas in the region as a result of high-level military talks.
Yesterday, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India has been looking at this "graded" process to restore peace and tranquillity on the border for progress in bilateral relations.
His comments came when asked at a media briefing about China's claim of so-called momentum of recovery in the relations and efforts to project that things between the two sides have changed following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries in March.
"Of course, our point has been that if you can resolve the issues, particularly on disengagement, that would help in de-escalation and restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western sector. That would be the right step towards enabling progress in bilateral relations," he said.
However, this week (on Wednesday), a video went viral that showed that the Chinese army carried out a military exercise with attack helicopters over Pangong Lake.
The 33-second video was telecast by the Chinese state media network. The video shows the army aviation brigade attached to the PLA Xinjiang Military Command carrying out an exercise over the world's highest saltwater lake, Pangong Lake, at an altitude of almost 4,350 metres.
China's state media reported that Z-10 attack helicopters joined the drills for the first time, unlike in the past when only transport helicopters carried border defense troops for patrol missions.
Since May 2020, when the Chinese military tried to aggressively change the status quo on LAC in eastern Ladakh, both sides have been deployed opposite each other near Patrolling Point 15 which has emerged as a friction point.
India has been looking at complete disengagement of troops from the friction points and moving back troops to the pre-May, 2020 situation in the entire sector.
The last disengagement of troops on the LAC took place a year ago which led to the limited resolution of the standoff at Patrol Point 17A in Gogra.
Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement in February 2021 to disengage troops from the 135-km Pangong Lake, creating buffer zones until all outstanding border issues are resolved.
Over 50,000 soldiers have been stationed since 2020 at forwarding posts along the LAC with advanced weapons to prevent a change in the status quo.
The Indian Army has now allotted the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps to the northern borders to keep a check on the PLA across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
