Chinese PLA Conducts ‘Night Infiltration’ Exercise in Tibet

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s Tibet Military Command recently conducted night infiltration exercises behind enemy lines and tested their combat capability at an elevation of 4700 meters.

During the exercise, PLA scout unit began to mobilize toward its target in the Tanggula Mountains. During the march, vehicles turned off their lights and used night vision devices to avoid hostile drone reconnaissance, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.

After encountering defensive obstacles built by the enemy, the scouts sent drones and dropped explosives to clear them. They engaged in combat when approaching the target, for which they sent a sniper unit to crack enemy spotlights and a fire strike team to destroy enemy light armored vehicles with anti-tank rockets.

After neutralizing the defenses, the scout unit successfully launched the final assault on the enemy headquarters, in which commanders used a vehicle-mounted infrared reconnaissance system and guided the troops to lock in on targets and deliver fire strikes.

More than 2,000 munitions, including mortar shells, rifle grenades and rockets were fired during the mock battle, Ma Qian, commander of the scout battalion involved in the drills, told CCTV.

An unnamed former PLA officer who was deployed in high altitude regions of Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region told the Global Times that infiltrating behind enemy lines and launching an attack at a hostile command center at night can effectively win a small-scale conflict with only one battle.

The release of this information at a time when the PLA is said to have set up hardened structures in the Ladakh region bordering Tibet, in territory claimed by India, is indicative of a show of strength.

China and India share borders at the high altitude area, and incidents have recently occurred between the two countries' troops, and both sides reportedly reinforced deployments.