Army Chief MM Naravane Meets Soldiers Injured in Galwan Clashes at Military Hospital in Leh

Amid bilateral tensions between India and China, Army Chief General MM Naravane on Tuesday visited Ladakh to discuss with ground commanders the six-week standoff with Chinese military. The Chief of the Army Staff will also visit forward locations and interact with troops on the ground.

Naravane 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.

In a tweet, the Indian Army said Naravane met and spoke with soldiers at the Military Hospital in Leh. Eighteen soldiers injured in the clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 are undergoing treatment here, said Army officials.

The Chief of the Army Staff interacted with almost all the injured soldiers and complimented them for their bravery, they added.

Naravane's visit came as the Army said the Indian and Chinese militaries have arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all friction points in eastern Ladakh. This significant development comes in the midst of spiralling border tension following the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in a clash at Galwan Valley.

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.

Naravane is scheduled to visit a number of forward areas during his two-day visit to the region.

Last week, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria made a quiet visit to Ladakh and Srinagar air bases to review the Indian Air Force's preparedness to deal with any eventualities in the region.

Before leaving for Leh, Naravane attended the final session of a two-day conference of top Army commanders. The commanders extensively deliberated on the situation in eastern Ladakh.

In Leh, Naravane was also scheduled to hold an extensive meeting with Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the 14 Corps that takes care of the sensitive border with China.

On Monday, Lt Gen Singh held a nearly 11-hour meeting with Commander of the Tibet Military District Maj Gen Liu Lin. In the meeting, the two sides arrived at a "mutual consensus" to "disengage" from all the friction points in eastern Ladakh.

(With inputs from PTI)