Union Defence Minister A K Antony is likely to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on April 6.

Official sources said in New Delhi on Thursday that the Defence Minister, along with the Army Chief General Deepak Kumar and Defence Secretary Vijai Singh, is likely to arrive at Tawang where state Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu would receive them.

Antony's visit is purely defence related, sources said, adding that Antony is scheduled to visit some forward areas in the border district before flying by chopper to Tenga, an important Army base in the district.

The visit of the Defence Minister has been preceded by a three-day trip of the state Governor General (Retired) J J Singh to Tawang last week, when the former Army chief visited Army's Lumpo forward base overlooking the Indo-China border, manned by the 27th Rajput Regiment.

The Defence Minister attempted to visit Tawang twice last year from Tezpur in Assam's Sonitpur district, in the wake of repeated claim by Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Kiren Rijiju about incursions by the Chinese Army in Tawang sector, but he could not make it because of inclement weather.

The visit of Antony assumes significance in the light of recent disclosure by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee that China has laid claim on Tawang.