The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) violated the Royal Line of Control several times in the past two months, and in various places in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, according to intelligence reports, and security and intelligence officials who requested don’t do it. be identified.
The Chinese transgression was not just limited to eastern Ladakh, officials and reports reveal; in one case, the PLA transgressed up to 40 kilometers within Indian territory before withdrawing.
Officials’ accounts also disprove Chinese claims that India transgressed LAC between the two countries. They also point to the broader Chinese strategy: Officials contend that increased activity along the roughly 3,500-km-long border is aimed at keeping the Indian military on alert in multiple locations and injecting an element of surprise into current tension. , despite the fact that Eastern Ladakh remains the main arena of confrontation.
India and China have been involved in a protracted four-month confrontation since April in which both sides have suffered casualties. At least 20 Indian army soldiers, including a commanding officer, were killed and 80 wounded in Galwan, eastern Ladakh, on June 15.
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According to an intelligence official, who cannot be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media, the PLA entered Arunachal Pradesh twice in July. According to him, the Chinese soldiers transgressed at least 26 kilometers within the Indian territory in Anjaw district and “camped for three or four days” in the first half of that month before leaving.
In the second case, also in Anjaw, the PLA crossed the Hadigra pass of Arunachal and arrived in 40 km, and withdrew only after leaving telltale marks.
In early August, there was a clash in the Jelep La area in eastern Sikkim, in which the PLA occupied higher ground and threw stones at the Indian army troops. The tension eased after the intervention of senior officials, but in a joint meeting between the two parties, both stood firm in their claim over the Jelep La area. A security official said: “The development was concerning because this was the first case of its kind in an area that has largely remained unchallenged.”
Once again, in mid-August, the presence of the PLA was noted at Tanjun La Pass in Uttarakhand “for the first time this year”.
A senior army official who asked not to be identified said: “The PLA is trying to master important heights to gain a tactical and strategic advantage. It is also trying to use the disconnection process to update its infrastructure. ”
The Indian military did not officially comment on the multiple transgressions.
The army participates in conversations on the ground at the brigade and division level.
On a political level, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held talks with his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in Moscow last week. China approached a meeting with Singh on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meetings after India gained an advantage by occupying heights in the Pangong Tso area of eastern Ladakh.
At last Friday’s meeting, Wei blamed India and said China was not willing to lose an inch of its territory. Singh told his Chinese counterpart that Beijing violated the border accords while New Delhi was responsible, and that there should be no question about India’s determination to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The foreign ministers of the two countries are scheduled to meet later this week.
A statement issued by India after the Singh and Wei meeting held China responsible for the protracted conflict throughout LAC. The statement read: “The actions of the Chinese troops, including the accumulation of large numbers of troops, their aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo were a violation of bilateral agreements and not in accordance with the agreements reached between Representatives. on two sides “.
On Monday, the Indian army said in a statement that PLA troops tried “to approach one of our forward positions throughout LAC and when our own troops deterred them, they fired a few rounds into the air” to intimidate “our troops.” . The statement added that the Indian troops exercised “great restraint.”
HT learns that the latest incident occurred in the Rezang La-Rechin La mountain range.
The tensions between the two neighbors are far from over. India has now sought information on five missing civilians from Arunachal who may be in Chinese custody.
According to an army officer, “We remain on high alert.”
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