Tibetan Troops At The LAC: A Shift In Dynamics In Ladakh And Arunachal

Sources say that the Tibetan troops that the Chinese Army hired to help them in high-altitude areas can now be seen in Eastern Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh as part of the People’s Liberation Army’s border defense raids along the Line of Actual Control.

Soon after the LAC was attacked in 2020, China started hiring these troops to help them survive in high-altitude areas as part of their plans to stay there for a long time.

“The Tibetan soldiers are now seen as part of their border defense patrols, but the majority of the soldiers are still from mainland China,” sources in the security forces said.

Sources say that the Chinese have had trouble keeping their regular mainland troops alive in high altitude areas. They have also seen how the Indian Special Frontier Force troops, which included many Tibetan troops, did when they took high peaks in the Kailash ranges.

According to reports, China told their top leaders to take at least one soldier from each Tibetan family, turn them into loyal citizens, and keep an eye on their families.

But sources say that the affected families are very angry about China’s move.

Since April or May 2020, India and China have been in a military standoff and have sent a lot of troops to the border areas.

India has also put almost the same number of soldiers along the Eastern Ladakh area in case the Chinese do something bad in the future.

The Army has also shifted its attention to the northern borders, sent out new formations, and given some of them more than one job to prepare for the two-front threat situation.