‘Minor face-off ’ at Sikkim border leaves soldiers injured

INDIAN and Chinese troops clashed anew on their contested Himalayan border, resulting in injuries on both sides, officials said on Monday (25).

The fighting on January 20 came six months after a pitched battle which left at least 20 Indian troops dead as well as an unknown number of Chinese casualties.

India’s military played down the latest skirmish as a “minor face-off” at Naku La pass, which connects Sikkim state with Tibet on the Chinese side. An Indian military statement said the clash was “resolved by local commanders as per established protocols”.

Government sources said five Indian troops and 15 Chinese forces were injured when a Chinese patrol was forced back.

China’s foreign ministry, however, said it had “no information” on the incident.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Chinese troops

“dedicated themselves to safeguarding the peace and tranquillity” of the border region.

“China urges India to work the same direction,” he added.

China’s defence ministry said in a joint statement with their Indian counterparts released later on Monday that the ninth round

in of disengagement talks – which have been held since mid-last year – were “positive”, but did not address the latest incident.

The two sides “agreed to push for an early disengagement of the frontline troops” at their shared border in the western Himalayas, it said.

There have been no signs that either side is ready to back down following previous talks.

China and India, who fought a border war in 1962, blame each other for the increased tensions and each has poured tens of thousands of extra troops into their border zones.