Army chief visits Ladakh, takes stock of ground situation

New Delhi: Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Tuesday reviewed India's military preparedness in eastern Ladakh as he began a two-day visit to the region where a border clash last week left 20 Indian soldiers dead in the midst of a tense standoff with the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
 
Soon after arriving in Leh, Gen Naravane visited an Army hospital where 18 soldiers injured in the clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 are undergoing treatment, Army officials said.
 
The Chief of the Army Staff interacted with almost all the injured soldiers and complimented them for their bravery, they added.
 
A surveillance post set up by the Chinese Army on a narrow mountain trail in violation of an agreement was the trigger for the clash in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.
 
After visiting the hospital, Gen Naravane reviewed the overall security situation in the region with the ground commanders, and is learnt to have directed them to keep a high-level of alertness to deal with any Chinese misadventure, people familiar with the issue said.
 
The Chief of the Army Staff is scheduled to visit a number of forward areas during his two-day visit to the region.