Several Indian and Chinese soldiers were injured when the troops from both countries clashed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 before disengaging, the Army said on Monday.
The December 9 face-off, which is the first major incident since the bloody Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh on June 15, 2020, occurred when 300-400 soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) intruded the LAC in the Tawang sector and Indian troops responded “in a firm and resolute manner”, the Army said in a statement.
Troops from both sides suffered injuries and immediately disengaged from the area.
At least six injured Indian soldiers were shifted to the military hospital in Guwahati, The Times of India reported quoting a source.
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On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called a meeting with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari to discuss the India-China border clash.
The chiefs of three defence services and CDS Chauhan are believed to have briefed the defence minister on the security situation along LAC with China, News18 reported.
The defence minister later told the Parliament that Indian forces were “committed to guarding our borders” and that the matter was being discussed with China through diplomatic channels.
“I want to assure the House that our forces are committed to guarding our borders and ready to thwart any attempt that will be made to challenge it," Singh said in the Lok Sabha.
Here is a look at a timeline of India-China clashes since 2019.
May 2020: On May 5-6, Indian and Chinese patrols clashed on the northern bank of Ladakh’s Pangong Tso Lake. Videos showed soldiers of both countries engaging in fistfights, throwing stones at each other and Chinese troops attacking Indian soldiers with nail-studded clubs.
On May 9, soldiers engage in a heated confrontation in north Sikkim’s Naku La area. Seven Chinese and four Indian soldiers were injured. On May 12, there were reports of tensions building up in Galwan Valley.
China’s foreign ministry accused Indian troops of trespassing on the LAC on May 19. India refuted the contention on May 21.
By May 25, China brought in nearly 5,000 soldiers on its side of the disputed border in the Ladakh sector. India also sent military reinforcements.
June 2020: A rare meeting was held between top military officers, Major General Liu Lin, commander of the People’s Liberation Army in South Xinjiang region, and Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, commander of Leh-based 14 Corps, on June 6. The two discussed the de-escalation plan.
On June 15, India and China engaged in the deadliest clash in 45 years in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clash, which led to a military stand-off with China and several rounds of military talks for the disengagement process. Sources in the Indian army said soldiers died in a physical fight that involved stones and batons and was not shot at.
July 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ladakh and lauded the bravery of Indian troops.
January 2021: Another clash between the two troops left soldiers from both sides injured. The clash occurred along the border between China and India's Sikkim state, which lies between Bhutan and Nepal. Indian soldiers foiled an attempt by the Chinese to intrude across the border in Sikkim. At least 20 PLA soldiers were reportedly injured in the clash.
February 2021: For the first time since the clash, China acknowledged that five Chinese military officers and soldiers were killed in the Galwan region. The first breakthrough in the series of talks at the military and the diplomatic level was achieved when China’s defence ministry said that troops from both countries on the southern and northern shores of Pangong Tso have started “synchronised and organised disengagement”. The agreement was reached in the ninth round of military talks between Corps Commanders in January 2021.
August 2021: A hotline is established between ground commanders in Kongra La in north Sikkim and Khamba Dzong in the Tibetan Autonomous Region.
October 2021: Talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders to resolve a protracted standoff broke down. Both countries blamed each other for the failure to make progress.
December 2021: Despite official disengagement at the friction points of Galwan, Gogra and Pangong Tso, satellite images showed China was building infrastructure to beef up forces in Ladakh.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
