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Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 10
Nuclear-armed troops from India and China have clashed in eastern Ladakh and northern Sikkim along the unmarked and disputed border between the two neighbors, leaving many wounded on both sides.
Details are emerging of the ongoing development in eastern Ladakh, which is much larger in scale and has broader ramifications than the clash in northern Sikkim.
Sources say that on the night of May 5 and 6, a clash broke out at a place called “Finger 5” on the north shore of the Pangong Tso (lake) in eastern Ladakh. It was one of the places where pitched battles were fought during the 1962 war. In 2017, troops threw stones at each other near the site. In the latest incident, troops on both sides were injured, a senior official said without confirming the nature. of injuries or the number of injured.
The Northern Army Commander visited the site after being informed of the skirmish. The sources said that as a precautionary measure, the forces had been substantially strengthened on both sides. However, they ruled out any escalation for now. It all started on April 27 when the troops met face to face. On the night of May 5 and 6, Chinese troops clashed with the Jawan Indians in a 14,000-foot attitude. More than 250 men were involved in the fights. A meeting of high-ranking commanders was held, but matters came up again today.
India and China have an unmarked 3,448 km boundary called the Royal Control Line that runs along the Himalayan ridge in an east-west alignment. Pangong Tso, a 135 km glacial melting lake that spans both countries, has boat patrols from both sides.
East Ladakh has been militarily “adapted” to avoid a repeat of 1962, when China, with exceptions such as Rezang La, literally surpassed Indian military defenses.
In northern Sikkim, a clash on Saturday wounded troops, including four on the Indian side. The incident occurred in the “Naku La sector” before Muguthang.
“Need to expand the national security doctrine”
- Army chief Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane said the time had come for India to adopt a “government-wide approach” to address “strategic uncertainties”, prompting the expansion of the country’s national security doctrine.
- On the geopolitical power game, General Naravane said the forces were determined to “cement” the country’s reputation as a provider of net security in the region.
- His comments come in the context of Pak’s aided Taliban goal for the role in the power structure in Kabul.
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