The army brass on Thursday kicked off a two-day conference in the capital to discuss important organisational and operational matters, including the situation along the country’s borders with China and Pakistan, officials familiar with the development said.
The biennial Army Commanders’ Conference is chaired by the army chief.
“The operational situation on the northern and western borders was reviewed on the opening day of the conference, chaired by army chief General MM Naravane,” said one of the officials cited above.
The review is significant against the backdrop of the ongoing negotiations for disengagement of Indian and Chinese soldiers from friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, and the ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani armies holding at the Line of Control (LoC), the official added.
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The conference is taking place at a time when India and China have only had limited success in hammering out an agreement for disengagement of their soldiers deployed at friction points on the LAC.
The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have held 11 rounds of talks between corps commander-rank officers since June 6, 2020, to reduce tensions along the disputed border.
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The only significant outcome of the military dialogue has been the disengagement of front-line troops and weaponry in the Pangong Tso sector in mid-February after the ninth round of talks.
Talks have not made any headway in resolving the problems at Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang.
Things have, however, been quiet on the LoC after the Indian and Pakistani militaries announced on February 25 that they had begun observing a ceasefire along the LoC from midnight of February 24. India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire on the LoC in November 2003, but it was frequently violated.
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Last month, the army chief said that the restoration of the ceasefire between the two armies was holding, had led to a significant drop in infiltration by terrorists from Pakistan and contributed to the overall sense of peace and well-being in border areas.