The rotations of the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s Sukhoi SU-30MKI at the Bagdogra Air force Station in West Bengal continued till late January, claimed investigative news website Bellingcat in its report on Saturday, 10 February.
The website, based on the satellite imagery it obtained, claims that the deployment was likely for an unannounced air exercise near the disputed Doklam region.
The report claims that up to 11 SU-30MKI were observed and nine were still visible by the end of January.
At another IAF station near Bhutan, satellite imagery acquired by Bellingcat in early January showed a flight of five Hawk MK 132 trainer aircraft at the Hasimara Air Force Station in Sikkim. The report added that four MIG-27ML were also observed at the base. The MIG-27ML were decommissioned by India at the airbase in December 2017.
The article added that it wasn’t just on the Indian side that these movements were spotted.
Satellite imagery still shows number of fighter aircraft deployed at China’s Shigatse, the closest airfield to the Doklam dispute.
Earlier in January, according to pictures released by The Print as well as NDTV, the Chinese never stopped their infrastructure buildup in the region. The images released by the new organisations showed that heavy road building machinery was present close to the stand-off point in the Chinese territory of the Doklam plateau.
However, the Ministry of External Affairs had earlier said status quo prevailed in Doklam.
There has been no new development at face-off site and vicinity since 28 August disengagement between the two countries.MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar
Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand-off for over two months, last year, in the Doklam area near Sikkim before “disengaging” on 28 August.
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