In order to protect Indian soldiers from assaults from Chinese troops, the Indian Army has ordered body protective suits and batons for forward troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Twenty Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in a seven-hour brawl in Galwan Valley on the intervening night of June 15 and 16. During the fight Chinese troops used stones, iron rods and nail-studded clubs to inflict serious injuries.
A Mumbai-based firm have got the order for the suits which are essentially a light-weight riot gear. The order was placed even before the clash that happened last week when soldiers and a colonel were injured in a clash with Chinese troops on the night of May 5-6.
The army has placed an order of 2000 suits of which 500 sets will be arriving in the first instalment.
It is said that it is inappropriate to give riot gear to soldiers as their role was not akin to a policeman or a riot control force but circumstances have warranted that it be given to the soldiers deployed along LAC.