Troops come to blows in India-China face-off

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a brawl in north Sikkim last week, with soldiers from both armies suffering injuries in a clash that has turned the spotlight on the eastern sector even as rival soldiers are deployed eyeball to eyeball in Ladakh, officials familiar with the development said on Monday.

The latest incident took place at Naku La area, which is at a height of over 5,000 metres, on January 20, when Chinese soldiers attempted to intrude into the Indian territory, the officials cited above said, requesting anonymity. They added that the soldiers of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were pushed back. “It is clarified that there was a minor face-off at Naku La area of North Sikkim on January 20 and the same was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols,” the army said in a brief statement.

The Naku La area has traditionally not been prone to faceoffs, and the developments reflected China’s aggressive behaviour in the eastern sector, the officials said. Experts pointed to attempts by Beijing to open a new front amid the stalemate in the Ladakh sector, where tensions first erupted in May 2020. The two sides are holding diplomatic and military dialogues to defuse tensions there.

“I thought the use of the word ‘minor’ was best avoided. A clash is a clash. Just as we were awaiting the outcome of the ninth

round of talks between military commanders, reports of an intrusion into Naku La represents an attitude that is anything but minor,” former ambassador Vishnu Prakash said. The Chinese side neither confirmed nor denied the incident. “On the specific [incident] you mentioned, I don’t have any information to offer. I would like to stress though the Chinese border troops are committed to upholding peace and tranquility along the border with India,” Zhao Lijian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, told the press in Beijing at a regular briefing.