Amid border tensions with China, the Indian Navy has deployed its MARCOS maritime task force in the Pangong Lake area of eastern Ladakh.
Zee News reported that the idea of deploying MARCOS in eastern Ladakh, where the Garud Commandos of the Indian Air Force and the Para Special Forces of the Indian Army have been present since the early days of the conflict, is to enhance the integration of the three services and expose the naval forces to freezing weather conditions.
“MARCOS has been deployed in the Pangong Lake area, where Indian and Chinese forces have been locked in a standoff since April and May this year. The naval commandos will soon be equipped with new boats to operate in the lake along with the existing infrastructure,” news agency ANI quoted government sources as saying.
The Special Forces of the Indian Army including the Para Special Forces and the Special Border Force of the Cabinet Secretariat have been carrying out special operations in Eastern Ladakh for a long time.
The Garud Special Forces of the Indian Air Force were deployed on the hilltops at strategic heights along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along with Igla shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems in the early days of the conflict to shoot down any enemy fighter jets or other aircraft attempting to violate Indian airspace.
Special Forces of both the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been present in Eastern Ladakh for over six months. On 29-30 August, the Indian side also used its Special Forces to occupy the hills at strategic heights along the LAC to deter China from making a similar move.
In turn, the Chinese side also maintains its Special Forces on its side. The Indian Navy has deployed MARCOS teams in the Wular Lake area in Jammu and Kashmir to deal with terrorism.
