The situation along the China frontier continues to remain “exceedingly” tense with the Indian and Chinese armies said to match each other in strength near the southern bank of the Pangong Lake, sources in the security establishment said.

A retired foreign secretary and some veterans on Wednesday questioned the absence of contact at the level of the top leadership to resolve the standoff.

Former foreign secretary Nirupama Menon Rao tweeted: “The absence of top leadership-level contact — viz. between @PMOIndia/@narendramodi and (President) Xi Jinping — as tensions mount in the continuing India-China standoff is inexplicable. Surely, the two informal summits and many bilateral meetings between them should have helped.”

Brigadier-level talks between the two armies that took place on Wednesday for the third consecutive day ended inconclusively and is likely to continue on Thursday.

“The ongoing talks for the third consecutive day today failed to achieve any breakthrough. Both sides are negotiating very hard to resolve the standoff and at the same time continue to deploy more men and matching weapons,” said an official of the Intelligence Bureau.

A veteran said: “It is clear that diplomacy and military talks are not working at all. Diplomatic intervention from the political leadership is the need of the hour.”

Tension escalated in the weekend after Chinese troops allegedly attempted to change the status quo on the southern bank of the Pangong Lake but were thwarted by the Indian Army.

A reported counter-operation by the Indian Army led to the occupation of key ridges on the southern bank of the lake within India’s side of the LAC.

The Indian Army on Wednesday denied media reports that its specialised units had occupied the ridges on the northern bank of the Pangong Lake where Chinese troops have dug themselves in 8km inside India-claimed lines since May.

The army said it had made some precautionary redeployment on its side of the LAC.