[ad_1]
Dozens of Chinese and Indian soldiers were involved in a tense clash along the India-China border in northern Sikkim on Saturday, two senior officials said on condition of anonymity.
The aggressive confrontation between the troops on the two sides occurred near the Naku La sector (in front of Muguthang), a pass at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, the first official quoted above said.
Several soldiers were wounded in the border confrontation when they exchanged blows.
“Four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese soldiers suffered injuries during the confrontation involving about 150 soldiers,” said the second officer quoted above.
He said the confrontation was resolved at the local level.
Two officials Hindustan Times spoke with at army headquarters denied any knowledge of the confrontation.
The Naku La area was traditionally not prone to fighting, a former senior commander said.
This is not the first time that Indian and Chinese soldiers have exchanged blows along the border. In August 2017, Indian and Chinese soldiers threw stones at each other and also exchanged blows near Lake Pangong in Ladakh, near the de facto border between the two countries.
The clash near the Current Line of Control (LAC) exacerbated bilateral tensions as occurred at a time when the two neighbors were locked in a long-running clash on the disputed Doklam plateau near Sikkim.
The 73-day Doklam clash between India and China along the Sikkim border is likely to be the new normal, the Center for Joint War Studies (CENJOWS) said in 2017, making a strong case for developing military capabilities. The confrontation ended with the withdrawal of troops from both armies.
.
[ad_2]
