The US will take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 100 kilometers from the country's disputed border with China.

The military exercise will take place in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and will focus on high-altitude combat training, CNN reports, citing a senior Indian army officer.

Auli is about 95 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LFC), where the disputed border between India and China runs.

The exercise will take place as part of the 18th edition of the annual joint drills.

Relations between India and China have strained since a clash between their soldiers in the Himalayas in June 2020 killed at least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers.

Tensions have risen further recently over China's construction of a bridge over Pangong Tso Lake, which is located along the border, which the Indian government has condemned as an illegal occupation.

During a visit to India this year, U.S. Army Pacific Commander General Charles Flynn described China's military buildup near the disputed border as alarming.

Asked about the joint exercise, a US Department of Defense spokesman told CNN that the partnership with India was "one of the most important elements of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.