New Delhi: The US intelligence community on Tuesday told US lawmakers that India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations. In its annual threat assessment, the community also expressed concerns over a potential crisis between India and Pakistan and said that the ties between India and China will remain strained due to the military build-up along the borders.
In an annual threat assessment, Pakistan has a long history of supporting anti-India militant groups; under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is more likely than in the past to respond with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, and each side’s perception of heightened tensions raises the risk of conflict, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints.
According to a media report, Relations between New Delhi and Beijing will remain strained in the wake of the lethal clash in 2020, the most serious in decades. Previous standoffs have demonstrated that persistent low-level friction on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has the potential to escalate swiftly.
India and China have been engaged in a bitter standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and have witnessed violent clashes such as the Galwan incident in the recent past. Both sides have amassed about 50-60,000 troops on their side of the border.
(Smit Soni)