the United States of America will organize joint military exercises in Auli, the region India near the disputed area with China.

An Indian army official said the military exercise would take place in mid-October in Auli, Uttarakhand.

Held in an area 3,000 kilometers above sea level, the exercise will focus on altitude combat capabilities.

This operation is part of the annual joint exercise titled Yudh Abhyas aka the 18th War Exercise.

A spokesman for the US Department of Defense said CNN that this collaboration with India “is one of the most important elements of our common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region”.

“An important element of this effort, including exercises and Yudh Abhyas, is an annual bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability and capability prospects to address regional security challenges.”

Auli itself is located about 95 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a no man’s land bordering the disputed territory of India and China.

Recently, relations between India and China have been strained after a bloody clash between the armies of the two countries in the Himalayas in June 2020. The clash killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese servicemen.

The sparks of conflict were rekindled recently when China built a bridge over Lake Pangong Tso that spans the border between the two countries.

India immediately condemned the construction of the bridge. According to them, the construction of the bridge is a form of illegal occupation.

During a visit to India last year, General Charles Flynn of the US Army Pacific Command said the construction of a bridge along the disputed area was “worrying”.

(a/a)