Four newly formed battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will be stationed in Arunachal Pradesh in an effort to increase security along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.
This choice was made in the midst of current border negotiations between the two countries and in front of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned trip to India for the G-20 meeting, which is set to take place from September 9 to 10.
The ITBP now has 9,400 more soldiers than it did before the Union cabinet approved the formation of seven new battalions and a functioning border base.
Four of the seven sanctioned battalions are reportedly prepared for deployment, with work still being done to raise the other three battalions.
Before the 2025 deadline, the final three ITBP battalions will be raised.
The additional soldiers will be stationed at 12 new “staging camps” and 47 newly constructed border outposts (BOPs) along India’s northern border.
Given the ongoing standoff between the Indian and Chinese soldiers in Ladakh since 2020, the increased security measures are especially important.
Officials stressed the geographic dispersion of the deployment, pointing out that 34 of the planned 47 BOPs will be placed strategically in the difficult and hostile terrain of Arunachal Pradesh, while the other outposts will be placed in the western theatre.
This action attempts to improve the ITBP’s ability to rotate troops between forward positions and mainland forces.
Currently, military rotations by the ITBP take place every three months at each of the 180 BOPs along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh with a company strength of 140 soldiers.
The staging camp also gives the deployment plan another dimension.
These staging camps are intended to provide the ITBP men on long-distance patrols over the rocky Himalayan boundary with crucial resources including supplies, logistics, and lodging.
These staging camps serve as temporary BOPs, reducing the distance between border outposts and enabling more efficient operations in the difficult terrain.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is protected jointly by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Indian Army.
