Heavy Military Fortifications Near China's Now Complete Pangong Lake Bridge
NDTV
The Chinese bridge has cut the travel distance between both banks by 50-100 kilometres, or several hours in travel time
China has completed the construction of a 400-metre bridge, connecting the northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso. The high-resolution images of this bridge were first published on ndtv.com in January 2022. The new satellite images from July 22, 2024, show vehicles on the black-topped bridge and moving across the banks of Pangong Tso.
New satellite images accessed by NDTV show four structures on the northern side of the lake. The bridge lies in territory held by China since 1958 near the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
Khurnak Fort lies on the northern shore of Pangong Tso and has been in Chinese-held territory since 1958. Before 1958, the boundary between India and China was considered at the Khurnak Fort but the latter has wrested control since then. The construction at Khurnak does not represent an incursion being presently held by India.
The satellite image accessed by NDTV shows a Chinese fortification along with two helipads at Khurnak Fort. During the 1962 India-China war, the Chinese used the Khurnak Fort as its forward headquarters for operations in Ladakh.