How Indian Army’s secrecy & unorthodox deployment fooled the Chinese at Pangong Tso
Nearly a month’s planning in utter secrecy, unorthodox deployment of multiple units and false flag manoeuvering, is what led to Indian forces outflanking the Chinese in Eastern Ladakh in August.
The operation has enabled India to dominate the southern banks of the Pangong Tso and offer a determined counter deployment in the northern banks.
The development also took place even as the Navy deployment its entire Eastern and Western Fleets out at sea to counter any possible Chinese aggression at sea and to showcase capability to completely dominate the area of influence.
Top government sources had earlier ruled out any premature withdrawal from the southern banks, which have given India a bargaining chip in negotiations that until then in August, were one-sided.
They have now told that when New Delhi realised that the Chinese had no intention of going back, the Army was asked to come up with options so that India could have some sort of a bargaining power.
According to the plan finalised, 6-7 places were identified along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) where Indian forces could gain an upper hand over China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Once the locations were identified, the only offensive formation against the Chinese Panagarh (West Bengal)-based Mountain Strike Corps (MSC) was put into action.
The offensive operation also saw the participation of the Army’s elite Para SF and the Chakrata (Uttarakhand)-based Special frontier force (SFF), largely made up of Tibetan Refugees.
