NEW DELHI: The Chinese army fired a barrage of “warning shots” into the air on the north shore of Pangong lake in the East Ladakh last week to “intimidate” Indian troops ahead of talks between the two countries’ foreign ministers in Moscow, official sources said Wednesday.
The incident took place on the crest of finger 4 where the Indian army it has been significantly increasing its deployment after occupying several strategic peaks on the southern shore of the lake, they said.
The sources said that a considerable number of Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops aggressively approached an Indian position, but returned some time later when alert Indian Army personnel stood firm on their ground.
As he returns, the Chinese troops they fired 100 to 200 rounds of warning shots mainly to intimidate Indian army personnel, they added.
The incident took place before a meeting between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, last Thursday on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conclave in Moscow.
The first shooting incident was reported on the night of September 7 near an Indian position in the Mukhpari area of the Rezang-La mountain range on the southern shore of Pangong Lake. Both sides accused each other of shooting into the air.
Chinese troops tried unsuccessfully to approach the Indian position and it was the first case of shots fired at the Royal Line of Control (LAC) in 45 years.
At Jaishankar-Wang In talks, both sides reached a five-point consensus to resolve the more than four-month-old border standoff.
The agreement included measures such as the rapid withdrawal of troops, avoiding actions that could increase tensions, compliance with all agreements and protocols on border management, and steps to restore peace in LAC.
In the Lok Sabha, Minister of Defense Rajnath singh on Tuesday he said that the Chinese side has mobilized a large number of troops and weapons throughout LAC, as well as in the deep areas.
He said there are several friction areas in eastern Ladakh, including Gogra, Kongka La, and the north and south banks of Lake Pangong.
“In response to China’s actions, our armed forces have also conducted appropriate counter-deployments in these areas to ensure that India’s security interests are fully protected,” he added.
Meanwhile, both sides have yet to set a date for the sixth round of talks at the Corps commander level.
Tension in eastern Ladakh escalated after clashes in the Galwan Valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian army soldiers were killed. The Chinese side also suffered casualties, but details have not yet been released.
The situation deteriorated again after China tried unsuccessfully to occupy Indian territory on the southern shore of Lake Pangong on the middle night of August 29-30.
India occupied a series of strategic heights on the southern shore of Pangong Lake and strengthened its presence in the Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese action.
China has been occupying the areas between Finger 4 and Finger 8. The foothills of the mountains in the area are called Fingers. China has strongly opposed India’s move. However, India has argued that the heights are on its side of LAC.
India has also sent additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China’s transgression attempts. Following new attempts by China to change the status quo on the southern shore of Lake Pangong, India has further strengthened its military presence in the region.
On video: confrontation in LAC: three incidents of layoffs between India and China in the last 20 days in eastern Ladakh
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