Secrets of Galwan: After Galwan, China did dirty work twice on LAC, Indian soldiers snatched weapons and drove PLA back.

Two other covert operations along the LAC in eastern Ladakh were carried out by the Army, where two officers and a soldier displayed exemplary courage despite extreme risks, difficult terrain and weather conditions. One was in September 2022 and details of the second operation are classified. Several months after the deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 and the struggle for heights in the Kailash Range and Pangong Tso north bank in August-September that year, Indian troops successfully repelled at least two attacks by the Chinese PLA on the line. done. Three Army personnel involved in the clashes along the LAC were awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry) on January 26, 2023, while the others were presented with the awards on August 15 last year. However, the quotes came into the public domain only during the investiture ceremony.

In view of these details being inadvertently released into the public domain, the Army is now considering keeping out details of important operations from commendation announcements of gallantry award winners at investiture ceremonies, sources said. While acts of bravery will continue to be highlighted in citations. Sources said specific details of the operations and the dates on which they will be conducted may not be included in announcements of the investiture ceremony until the operations in question are made public. Currently a detailed citation is prepared for each gallantry award winner describing his or her actions. But a limited quotation is announced to the audience during the investiture ceremony when the medals are presented. Details of covert operations are usually not announced. Sources said skirmishes and skirmishes occur frequently at the local level along the LAC and the Line of Control and are not classified as they are quickly resolved by ground commanders.

Within months of the standoff beginning in May 2020, India and China deployed around 50,000-60,000 troops along the LAC. Some resolution has been seen in the last three years with the creation of buffer zones in friction points such as Galwan Valley, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso and the Gogra-Hot Springs area. There has been no disengagement so far at legacy friction points like Depsang Plains and Demchok.