Indian Army face-off with Chinese soldiers in Sikkim; troops disengage through dialogue
Aggressive behaviour and minor injuries were reported in the face-off, which was later resolved through dialogue between local level authorities.
Key Highlights
- Face-offs between Indian, Chinese armies occur since the boundary is not resolved
- The latest face off along the Sikkim border has occurred after a long time
Gangtok: An incident of a face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers took place along the Sikkim border on Sunday, said Indian Army sources. According to reports, aggressive behaviour and minor injuries occurred on both sides. The troops disengaged after local level interaction and dialogue between senior personnel.
Reportedly, the confrontation occurred near the Naku La sector, a pass at a height of more than 5,000 metres and several soldiers were injured in the border stand-off as they fought with each other.
An Army source said four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese personnel suffered minor injuries during the confrontation that involved around 150 soldiers. The issue was later resolved through dialogue.
It should be noted that temporary and short duration face-offs along the Sikkim border occur as the boundary is not resolved. Troops resolve such issues mutually as per established protocols. This has occurred after a long time.
The confrontation has come days after Indian Army chief General MM Naravane visited various field formations in Easter India, in including Sukna, Binnaguri and Panagarh.
The Chief of Army Staff interacted extensively with the troops deployed on the ground and took stock of the situation along the borders.
Back in August 2017, Indian and Chinese soldiers threw stones at each other and exchanged blows near Pangong Lake in Ladakh. The clash had aggravated tensions between the two countries as it happened at a time when they were locked in a stand-off in the disputed territory of Doklam in Sikkim.
The stand-off ended after more than two months with the withdrawal of troops by both armies.