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Indian, Chinese soldiers clash in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector

"Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow-up of the incident, our Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue following structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity," the Indian Army said in a statement.

Indian Army Chinese PLA soldiers clash in Arunachal Pradesh
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First Published Dec 12, 2022, 7:24 PM IST

Some Indian Army soldiers were injured in a clash with Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9. Confirming the development, the Indian Army said in a statement, "In certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh, there are areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines. This has been the trend since 2006."

"On 9 December 2022, PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang Sector, which was contested by our own troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides." 

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"Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow-up of the incident, our Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue following structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity," the Indian Army statement said.

At least six soldiers, who were injured in the India-China clash in Tawang sector, have been brought to Guwahati for treatment, sources said.

Indian Army chief General Manoj Pandey had last month termed the situation along the LAC as "stable but unpredictable." The India-China border had been relatively silent amid ongoing rounds of discussions between the military leadership of both countries.

Despite India and China having 16 rounds of consultations achieving some de-escalation, several issues still remain unaddressed. With the onset of winter, Indian armed forces had started fortifying its infrastructure along the border. The Army chief stated that India's actions on LAC are being carefully calibrated to be able to safeguard our interests and sensitivities.

To note, India and China share a 3,488-km-long LAC from Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector to Ladakh in the northern sector. Since the Galwan Valley clash in Eastern Ladakh in 2020, in which 20 Indian Army personnel lost their lives, the government has stepped up infrastructure projects closer to the LAC. These include the rapid construction of roads and bridges. 

Sources in the defence establishment recently told Asianet Newsable that everything has changed on the ground after the Galwan Valley face-off. "We have strengthened our positions in border areas, and sensitivity is very high across borders with China," sources had said.

In fact, according to sources, our troops could now reach the most important access points often, even before the Chinese ground troops come for patrolling.

Also Read: Eyeing Chinese threat at LAC, Indian Army creates habitat for 22,000 soldiers

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