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His trip comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's surprise visit to Ladakh on July 3 during which he also addressed troops and signalled the country's firmness in dealing with the India-China border row.

Mr Singh was originally scheduled to visit Ladakh on July 3 but the trip was postponed.

The defence minister visited Stakna forward areas after landing in Ladakh where the troops showed him paradropping skills of the armed forces.

Indian Army T-90 tanks and BMP infantry combat vehicles carry out an exercise at Stakna, Leh in presence of the Defence Minister, Chief of Defence Staff and the Army Chief.

 Troops of Indian Armed Forces carry out para dropping exercise at Stakna, Leh in presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane.

This is the Defence minister’s first visit to Ladakh since the faceoff with China commenced. Singh is likely to visit Atal Tunnel, previously known as Rohtang Tunnel, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This is a highway tunnel being built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway.

After his Ladakh visit, the Defence Minister will head towards Jammu and Kashmir to review the situation on Line of Control (LoC).

Both the sides recently held the fourth round of talks on disengagement in eastern Ladakh. In the talks between corps commanders of the Indian and Chinese armies, that started on Tuesday and stretched into the early hours of Wednesday, both sides discussed the roadmap for further reducing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The focus of the latest round of military talks was to hammer out a consensus on easing tensions in the Finger Area near Pangong Tso and Depsang plains as well as pulling back weapons and equipment from friction points in other sectors, said people aware of the developments.