Amid rising tension in region, India realigns troops in Ladakh facing China

In the face of rising tension with China and Pakistan, Indian Army is realigning its numbers in eastern Ladakh, while a new division, which was sanctioned earlier, has now been given the final shape.

The war-fighting elements of the new division have been finalised. Raising the new division — the 72 Infantry Division — will not entail adding any manpower. It will only be about re-tasking existing Brigades in eastern Ladakh.

Following the military stand-off with China in April 2020, the Indian Army had moved around several of its units to Ladakh. This included the 6 Mountain Brigade from Bareilly and some resources of the Mathura-based 1 Strike Corps. These resources include armoured formations and infantry combat vehicles, besides troops.

The 72 Infantry Division is expected to subsume some of these elements to consolidate troop numbers.

A division of Army has about 15,000 men, besides equipment. It is headed by a Major General-rank officer and has three or four brigades, each headed by a Brigadier.

The 72 Infantry Division will be part of the Leh-based 14 Corps, deployed on both fronts — China and Pakistan.

Its area of responsibility is the 832 km of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China; the Line of Control with Pakistan in the Drass-Kargil-Batalik sector; and the Siachen Glacier. The 14 Corps has two divisions — the 8th Mountain Division, tasked to the LoC, and the 3rd Infantry Division, tasked to the LAC in eastern Ladakh.