8,000 more ITBP troops to guard the Chinese border in Arunachal

New Delhi: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police is all set to give a boost to its strength along the Chinese border by 12,000 personnel. Two-thirds of that will go to Arunachal and the remainder to Ladakh.

The procedure for the ITBP to take over the guarding of the Myanmar border from the Assam Rifles has also started.

The Defence Ministry has sanctioned eight new battalions, around 8,000 personnel, for Arunachal. This takes the total figure of ITBP forces in the state to 19 battalions guarding the 1126-km long international border.

Last September, Indian security forces had found surveillance equipment belonging to Chinese forces set up in Ladakh. After they dismantled the equipment, there had been a standoff with the Chinese troops.

There have been other similar instances in Ladakh that had forced the government to consider raising the current strength of protection along the border.

The Defence Ministry had, earlier this year, given its nod to withdraw Assam Rifles from the Myanmar border because according to international conventions, borders cannot be guarded by armies.

The Assam Rifles, though technically a paramilitary force under the home ministry, is actually a part of the army.

Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a border with both China and Myanmar, will get a frontier headquarter for the ITBP and two sector headquarters.

Posts for woman in the rank of assistant commandants have also been sanctioned.

The forces will get at least 4,000 night-vision devices for better surveillance of the Chinese border.