INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Army truck crosses Chang la pass near Pangong lake (Photo: AP)The four flashpoints at the north and south banks of the Pangong Tso lake, the
heavily armed Indian and Chinese troops are separated only by a few metres.While the past 10 days have been calm, the situation at the four
flashpoints has been extremely volatile since gunshots were fired on September 8.The Chinese army fired a barrage of "warning shots" in the
air at the North Bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh last week to "intimidate" the Indian troops ahead of the talks between foreign
ministers of the two countries in Moscow.At the south bank of the Pangong Tso lake, the troops are a few meters away at Spanggur Gap,
Mukhpari, and Rezang La.Warning gunshots were fired here too between August 28 and September 8.China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops
had made movements to occupy the area between Finger 3 and 4, earlier this month, which led to firing in the air.At the Jaishankar-Wang
talks, both sides reached a five-point consensus to resolve the over four-month-long border standoff.The agreement included measures like
quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management,
and steps to restore peace along the LAC.In the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Chinese side has mobilised a
large number of troops and armaments along the LAC as well as in the depth areas.He said there are several friction areas in eastern Ladakh
including Gogra, Kongka La and North and South Banks of the Pangong Lake."In response to China's actions, our armed forces have also made
appropriate counter deployments in these areas to ensure that India's security interests are fully protected," he added.(With PTI inputs)
