NEW DELHI: Indian Army troops at forward bases have been armed with the latest American Sig Sauer 716 assault rifles and Swiss MP-9 pistol guns to guard the border there for over a year to combat Chinese aggression along the Line of Actual Control. A few days after troops disengaged from the Gogra heights, Team ANI visited forward areas to assess the Indian Army’s readiness along the LAC.
Army officials stationed in these high-altitude locations said the troops are now receiving American Sig Sauer 716 assault rifles for operations, citing the weapon’s 500-meter range as an advantage in mountain warfare. The rifles were procured in large numbers, with India placing emergency orders for around 1.5 lakh of them shortly after the situation along the border deteriorated due to Chinese aggression in Eastern Ladakh, particularly the Galwan valley.
The rifles are ambidextrous, allowing troops to quickly use them if they are needed in combat, according to officials. Meanwhile, in an effort to defuse tensions along the Line of Actual Control, India and China have disengaged troops from the Gogra heights area and returned them to their permanent bases (LAC)
‘The troops in this area have been in a face-off situation since May last year. One step at a time towards standoff resolution. As per the agreement reached during corpus commander talks, both sides have ceased forward deployments in PP-17 in a phased, coordinated, and verified manner,’ an Army spokesperson said.
All temporary structures and other related infrastructure built in the area by both sides have been dismantled and mutually verified, according to the spokesperson. Both sides have restored the landform in the area to its pre-standoff state. This agreement ensures that both sides will adhere to and respect the LAC in this area, and that there will be no unilateral changes to the status quo.
‘With this, one more sensitive area of face-off has been resolved. Both sides have expressed commitment to take the talks forward and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector,’ the spokesperson said.
The Indian Army, along with the ITBP, is fully committed to ensuring the country’s sovereignty and maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector, according to the spokesperson.
India and China agreed to disengage troops from patrolling point 17A, a point of contention between the two countries in eastern Ladakh, during the 12th round of military talks.
According to ANI, both sides agreed to disengage from PP-17A, also known as Gogra, during the 12th round of talks. Both sides agreed to and carried out the last disengagement in February of this year, when they disengaged from the banks of Pangong Lake.
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