New Delhi: Indian and Chinese troops clashed in Arunachal Pradesh on the night of December 9. Several soldiers were injured in the incident. There are no reports of any deaths. This is the first physical clash between the two armies since stand-off in Galwan in 2020.

Chinese had come heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers but did not expect the Indian side also to be well prepared

The Chinese had come heavily prepared with around 300 soldiers but did not expect the Indian side also to be well prepared, sources said.

On December 9, PLA troops contacted the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang Sector which was contested by own troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides.

Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow up of the incident, own Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquility.

Notably, in certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh there are areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area upto their claim lines. This has been the trend since 2006.
India-China tensions heat up again

Despite India and China having 16 rounds of consultations achieving some de-escalation, several issues still remain unaddressed. With the onset of winter, Indian armed forces had started fortifying its infrastructure along the border. The Army chief stated that India’s actions on LAC are being carefully calibrated to be able to safeguard our interests and sensitivities.

The clashes come just month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit in Bali, a first since Galwan incident.

Last month, Indian Army Chief Manoj Pandey had said that the situation along LAC with China in eastern Ladakh is “stable but unpredictable.” He had also said that China’s words don’t match actions and hence “we need to focus on their actions.”

“We all know what the Chinese say and what they do is quite different. It is also a part of their nature and character. We need to focus on their actions rather than what is on their texts or scripts or their articulation,” said Army Chief General Manoj Pande while addressing the ‘Chanakya Dialogues’, a think-tank in November.