Indian and Chinese clash amid border row

INDIAN and Chinese troops clashed on a disputed area of land in the Himalayas, officials said yesterday, exacerbating tensions during a standoff between the two armies.

Chinese troops threw stones at Indian soldiers near Pangong Lake, a major tourist attraction in the picturesque mountain region of Ladakh on Tuesday, an Indian defence official said.

He said Chinese soldiers had twice tried to enter the Indian territory but had been pushed back. The incident occurred as the nations are locked in a standoff in another border region.

“There was a minor incident. There was some stone pelting from the Chinese side, but the situation was quickly brought under control,” he said on condition of anonymity.

The brief confrontation was resolved after Indian and Chinese sides retreated to their respective positions, he added.

Police in the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where Ladakh is located, said clashes were relatively common along the de facto border.

The border trouble began in June when Chinese soldiers started to extend a road through the Doklam territory. The area is disputed between China and Bhutan. India, a close ally of Bhutan, then deployed troops to stop the construction project, prompting Beijing to accuse India of trespassing on Chinese soil.

China has said India must withdraw its troops before any proper negotiation takes place. India said both sides should withdraw their forces together.

The plateau is strategically significant as it gives China access to the so-called chicken’s neck – a thin strip of land connecting India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country.