Doklam standoff: Indian Air Force put on 'operational alert'

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The India Air Force has been put on operational alert amidst the Doklam standoff. The Indian Army has also enhanced troop level along the entire stretch of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh as part of an annual exercise.

Sources say that this annual exercise is conducted every September. However this time it had been rescheduled so that soldiers can acclimatise from plain areas with forward locations of high altitude.

Read | Amidst Doklam standoff, China looks to increase reach in Indian Ocean

Sikkim standoff: Result of India-China talks at Nathula pass| Oneindia News

There has been no solution in the sight to the standoff. In fact it is worsening with China upping the rhetoric. The 3,488-km long border stretching across five states Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is being closely monitored.

The Sukna based 33 Corps decided to advance the annual war exercise by six weeks. Officials say that this is to ensure that the troops are acclimatised in the case of a skirmish breaking out. The 4 Corps based in Tezpur and 3 Corps based in Dimapur are also on high alert. Armaments and soldiers are on the move to their operational bases.

Read | Caution alert at Doklam: Heavy troop build up along Indo-China border

45,000 troops, including personnel having completed the weather acclimatisation process, are normally kept ready along the border, but not all are necessarily deployed, said a PTI report.

While there is a major build up, at the standoff site around 300 soldiers continue to hold their position. Both sides would now await the outcome of a possible meeting between Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping to held during the BRICS summit on September 3.

OneIndia News