The Indian Army hosted military diplomats in Leh this week, familiarising them with forward areas and military formations along the China frontier that is not usually accessible to foreign dignitaries.
The visit was scheduled on October 16 and 17 and was attended by defence attaches of the USA, France, Russia, Australia, Hungary, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Singapore, Senegal among others.
In all, there were 22 defence attaches along with their spouses, who were part of the tour.
The objective of the tour was to familiarise defence counterparts serving in embassies with the prevailing situation, challenges and operating environment in the border areas.
"This will enhance mutual understanding between the armies of friendly nations and also showcase the diversity of India," said an army source.
The attaches got a firsthand experience of field formations of the Indian Army based around Leh and also got an opportunity to visit world famous tourist spots such as Pangong Tso Lake along the India-China border.
As the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs through the lake, it is one of the contentious spots between India and China. There have been face-offs between the Indian and Chinese soldiers here.
Last year, the Indian and Chinese armies came face-to-face in Doklam over a dispute. Since the resolution of the Doklam issue, India and China have been working towards de-escalating the tensions.
Leh is an important military base bordering China on the East and has important formations aiding army operations against Pakistan too.
"This is the first time the army has planned such a trip. It's traditionally been a tri-service practice that takes place every alternate year," said an army source.
The previous time, the military diplomats were taken to Jodhpur.
Contentious Spot
As the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs through the lake, it is one of the contentious spots between India and China. There have been face-offs between the Indian and Chinese soldiers here
Leh is an important military base bordering China on the East and has important formations aiding army operations against Pakistan too
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