ISLAMABAD – 11 soldiers – four Indian and seven Chinese – were injuredafter a tense face-off near the Naku La sector (ahead of Muguthang Valley),a pass at a height of over 5,000 metres in the Sikkim sector. As perofficials, the two Asian giants share a 2,400-mile long demarcated border.
Sources in the Indian Defence Ministry have confirmed the occurrenceof another face-off with Chinese troops after the latter transgressed intoIndian territory near Nallah in the Ladakh sector on Sunday morning.
The issue, he said, has been resolved, but troops on both sides arecurrently present.
“Short and temporary face-offs keep occurring as the boundaries between thetwo countries are not resolved. However, the troops resolve such issues ormatters at a local level and as per the established protocols”, theofficial said, adding that there has been a spike in such encounters overthe last few years.
The recent tensions have been heightened along the India-China border since27 April, after Chinese personnel entered inside the Line of Actual Control(LAC) with a vehicle, but the Indian Army confronted the personnel and thematter was resolved.
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In northern Sikkim, where two sides were involved in the scuffle, theIndian Armed Forces have lost two helicopters since 7 May, which indicatesthat there has been increased movement by the Indian side as well.
Just three years ago, in 2017, Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a2.5-month long standoff after Chinese troops started constructing a road inthe Doklam region, which exists as a tri-junction at the border thatseparates India, Bhutan, and China.
A stalemate in relations developed between the two countries over thestandoff. The situation normalised only after both sides agreed todisengage in August 2018.
