Chinese helicopters were spotted flying near to the undemarcated border between India and China in Eastern Ladakh. After this, around 250 soldiers of both sides were engaged in a fierce face-off near Pangong Lake in the area last week. The situation in the region remained tense after some violent clashes between the troops that happened on Tuesday evening.
Sino-India situation cools off, however, as claimed by The Indian Army. It says that tensions between the two sides in the area have subsided.
The Chinese military helicopters were seen at least a couple of occasions, flying close to the Line of Actual Control on. After this incident, a fleet of Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force was sent to carry out sorties in the area. Additional troops were also rushed into the site following the dispute.
Scores of Indian and Chinese army personnel aggressively clashed along the northern bank of the Pangong Lake and even resorted to stone-pelting in the face-off on May 5. The incident led to several soldiers of both sides receiving injuries.
Tensions between Indian and Chinese troops initiated in February 2020 on the banks of the 135-km-long Pangang Lake in eastern Ladakh. It happened when Chinese troops stopped Indian soldiers from patrolling the Finger 2 area. The Indian soldiers frequently patrol the area.
The matter had been ‘bubbling’ since last February when the PLA stopped the Indian patrol at a location named “Finger 2” on the north bank of Pangong Tso. It is a 135-km glacial melt lake that separates India and China situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet.
“Finger 2’ is held by India and is not disputed. A fully-paved Indian road exists in the place. The movement of the Chinese in this area was a red-herring for the Northern Command.
India retaliated and stopped Chinese patrol at locations much ahead, or eastwards, of “Finger 2’. Since the perception of LAC varies, the patrolling parties of either country stop the other one and ask to return. There is a laid-down protocol on such interactions, and both parties are expected to return.
During the stand-off, the Indian Air Force was asked to fly in a pair of Sukhoi30 MKI after helicopters of China were seen flying on their side. As per existing arrangements, fighter jets maintain a certain distance from the LAC.
Five hills are leading to the lake, which is named as Finger 1 to Finger 5. The road leading to Finger 2 is built on which Indian soldiers move smoothly and quickly.
During the last week of April, the presence of the troops on both sides of the border has increased, and on the nights of May 5-6, a violent clash took place, leaving many forces injured. Indian soldiers had been trying to set up a cottage in the area. Chinese soldiers strongly protested it. The scuffle under question took place between soldiers of two countries.
During early August 2017, another incident of the two sides exchanging blows around the Pangong Lake was reported. In a separate conflict, approximately 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel nearing Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector of the Sino-India border, were engaged in a face-off. At least ten soldiers from both sides sustained injuries in this incident.
The troops of India and China had engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017. It even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.