Defence
Pakistan Deploys SH-15 155mm Howitzer, UAVs Along The LoC As China Attempts To Secure Enclaves In PoK: Report
Chinese SH-15 155mm howitzer in Zhuhai Air Show 2018. (Via Army Recognition)
Pakistan has deployed Chinese made SH-15 155mm mounted gun system (MGS) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) along the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The Chinese were also spotted building communication towers, and laying underground cables for communications along the LoC.
Furthermore, the Chinese are also digging tunnels in the Leepa Valley of PoK to create an all-weather route, as an alternate to reach the Karakoram Highway, according to The Hindu.
Pakistan has earlier ordered 236 SH-15 155mm MGS from the Chinese, the first batch of which was delivered in January 2022.
These howitzers along with some Chinese UAVs were observed in certain areas along the LoC, an official said.
All this construction of new infrastructure and the presence of UAVs and SH-15 suggests Chinese efforts to secure their enclaves in the PoK, on the pretext of safety of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The intelligence agencies and the Indian Army are working together to keep an eye on the Chinese activities in PoK.
However, there is no presence of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers in the forward posts, as was observed earlier in 2014, although according to reports Chinese troops and engineers were observed helping in construction of the underground bunkers.
According to the report, the Chinese are constructing 'well-off society' villages in PoK, under the garb of protecting CPEC from terror attacks and these construction activities are being done to protect these villages and enclaves.
The CPEC was started in 2014, and is the flagship project of the larger Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) of the Chinese.
Under the CPEC, various infrastructure projects, including dams, communications and hydro-electric projects are being constructed.
India has strongly condemned the CPEC, since the project is being constructed illegally in PoK.
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