IN THE WORLD TODAY

Soldiers clash in disputed border area

INDIAN and Chinese soldiers clashed last week along the countries’ disputed border, officials in India have said. The clash in the Naku La area of Sikkim came four days before the countries held a ninth round of talks on ending tensions in another disputed border area in the remote Ladakh region.

The Indian army described the clash at Naku La as “a minor face off” and said it “was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols”.

An army statement did not provide any other details, but asked media “to refrain from overplaying or exaggerating” the incident.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said he did not have information to provide on the incident but urged India “not to take any unilateral action that may further complicate or exacerbate the border tension”.

Since a deadly clash last year, soldiers from the two sides have clashed occasionally and fired shots for the first time in decades, breaking a long-standing agreement not to use firearms during border confrontations.

Two Indian security officials said at least 18 Chinese soldiers tried to cross into Indian-claimed territory at Naku La last Wednesday night and were blocked by Indian soldiers, leading to clashes with sticks and stones.

The officials said soldiers on both sides were carrying firearms but did not use them.

The two officials said more than a dozen Indian soldiers and at least eight Chinese soldiers received minor injuries. Both sides rushed more soldiers to the area in an “aggressive deployment” that swelled the number of personnel to hundreds, the officials said.