26 June 2020 12:57 am
SINGAPORE/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Satellite images show China appears to have added new structures near the site of a deadly border clash with India in the western Himalayas in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley following the June 15 clash.
Indian and Chinese military commanders agreed on Monday to step back from a weeks-old standoff at several locations along their disputed border.
However, satellite images showing new construction activity in the week underlining the challenge of disengagement and the risk the accord could still fall apart because of overlapping claims in the arid territory.
The pictures shot on Monday by US-based space technology firm Maxar Technologies show what appear to be extensive Chinese structures on a raised river terrace overlooking the Galwan River.
India says the area where the structures have sprung up are on its side of the poorly defined, undemarcated Line of Actual Control between the two Asian giants.
China says the whole of Galwan valley, located at about 14,000ft (4,300m), is its territory and blames Indian troops for triggering the clashes.
The new activity includes camouflaged tents or covered structures against the base of cliff, and a short distance away, a potential new camp under construction with walls or barricades. The camp was not seen in pictures made available to Reuters the previous week.
On the Indian side, defensive barriers can be seen in the latest images which were not visible in pictures taken in May. An Indian forward post appears to be scaled back compared with images a month ago.