Doklam standoff: Indian, Chinese army widen faceoff by 1 kilometre

Guwahati: After India and China agreed to end over two-month old military standoff in Doklam, armed personnel of both the countries are now located at least one kilometer away from each others standoff point.

Pointing out that India is not apprehending any trouble in near future, security sources told this newspaper that a core team of security experts, formed by Prime Minister’s Office to deal with Doklam standoff, was supervising the de-escalation of deployment in the area.

The situation in the area is now quite normal like what it was before the standoff started on June 19.

Informing that the Indian troops have now been pulled back behind the Bhutanese Army, security sources said that the Indian Army has been giving training to Bhutanese Army personnel on specialized warfare for quite some time.

The intrusion by the Chinese army was noticed during one such joint training exercise and the Indian Army personnel engaged in the training were directed to prevent the Chinese from gaining control over the Doklam area which is strategically important to India’s security, security sources said adding that for training the Bhutanese army, an officer of Major General rank has been posted in Thimphu.

Clarifying that international boundary between India and China has not been demarcated as yet, security sources however said that small incursion by troops of either India or China during the routine patrolling of the area cannot be ruled out.

Informing that there is arrangement to resolve such issues by troops at the local level, security sources said that sector commanders either meet or speak over phone to resolve the problem.

For such meetings, border personnel’s meeting huts have also been created in a few places along the international border, including one in Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh.

If the issues cannot be resolved even at the sector commander level, only then the governments of the two countries get into the act and try to resolve it through diplomatic channels. The same was the case in Dokalam as the problem could not be resolved by the troops, more so because the area under question falls under Bhutan, security sources said.

Security sources also clarified that India deliberately refrained from engaging in to diatribe that state controlled media of China had started on Doklam. The core team of former army officers and security experts will continue to keep a close watch on international borders with China, security sources said.