Increased fighter flying from Chinese airbases of Gargunsa, Hotan and Kashgar, which face Ladakh, has also been detected over the last month. But sources said it was “fairly routine” for this part of the year

NEW DELHI: There has been no fresh military build-up by China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, said official sources on Monday, even as the Indian Army and People’s Liberation Army held another round of talks in a bid to defuse the month-long troop confrontation in the high-altitude region.

The Indian armed forces, of course, continue to keep a hawk-eye on the additional troop reinforcements, artillery guns, tanks and other armoured vehicles deployed by China within its territory near the LAC last month.

Increased fighter flying from Chinese airbases of Gargunsa, Hotan and Kashgar, which face Ladakh, has also been detected over the last month. But sources said it was “fairly routine” for this part of the year, with just four to five J-11 fighters being deployed at the Gargunsa (civilian airfield is called Ngari Kunsha) airbase, which is around 60-80 km from the LAC.

“Some additional J-11 and J-8 fighters have been inducted at Hotan and Kashgar, which are much further away, but they are not a big source of concern. If Chinese fighters fly near the LAC, IAF fighters also do the same,” said a source. Moreover,the weapon and fuel-carrying capacity of Chinese jets is quite limited due to the high-altitude and rarefied air at their airbases.

Sources said the brigade commander-level talks at one of the face-off sites on Monday were “positive” as compared to last week, and will be followed by another dialogue between the rival major generals within the next few days.

There has, however, been no de-escalation as yet in the troop confrontation at the four to five locations in the Galwan Valley region, northern bank of Pangong Tso and Demchok areas of eastern Ladakh, after PLA troops early last month intruded around 1-3 km into what India considers to be its territory.

Both countries had reinforced their positions with additional troops and heavy weapons within their territories as a show of strength.

“The PLA build-up of ground forces with artillery guns, tanks and other heavy vehicles did take place near the LAC initially. But there has been no fresh deployments since then. There is nothing very unusual happening on the other side now,” the source said.