New Delhi: The Indian Army and the PLA Soldiers face-off in Eastern Ladakh Pangong Tso-Chushul area. Both sides are backed by tanks, howitzers and shoulder-fired missiles after atleast four bouts of warning shots were extended by the rival troops since August 29.

The two armies are waiting for the sixth round of corps commander level talks to determine whether the diplomatic consensus reached to reduced tensions at the September 10 talks between foreign ministers S. Jai Shankar and Wang Yi actually translates into ground reality.

In a bid to unnerve Indian soldiers entrenched on the heights, the PLA has taken to loud speakers to issue warnings in chaste Hindi apart from playing Punjabi songs. “Our Soldiers are enjoying the Music” said an Indian Army officer. The PLA is trying to stir disaffection among our troops.

But psychological operations do not trouble our battle hardened soldiers, he added. Though the two armies are on a hair trigger alert amid a huge trust deficit, there have been no major aggressive moves in the high altitude region for the last one week. The operational situation at the friction points however, remains on a knife-edge, with bullets being fire, even though in the air, for the first time in 45 years.

On the firing incidents took place because the PLA tried to aggressively come near our perimeter defenses on the heights, which we have clearly told them is a redline for us.