Indian and Chinese soldiers had been engaged in a face-off along the Line of Actual Control in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as the patrols of two countries had come face to face at one location.
Sources in the defence establishment said the face-off took place between the two sides last week and the troops disengaged after talks between the two local commanders as per existing protocols. The face-off lasted for a few hours before the troops disengaged and Indian troops outnumbered the Chinese at the location, sources said. There was no damage to the Indian defences in the face-off that took place between the two sides at the location, they said.
Since the India-China border has not been formally, there is a difference in perception of LAC between the countries. “Peace and tranquillity in these areas of differing perceptions have been possible by adherence to existing agreements and protocols between the two countries,” they said.
Sources said both sides undertake patrolling activities up to their line of perception. Whenever patrols of both sides physically meet, the situation is managed according to established protocols and mechanisms agreed by both sides. Physical engagement can last for a few hours prior to disengaging as per mutual understanding, they said. Earlier in August, India and China had disengaged troops from the Gogra heights area and moved them back to their permanent bases. In the 12th round of military talks, India and China had agreed to disengage troops from patrolling point 17A, one of the friction points between the two countries in the eastern Ladakh region. Amid the recent attempts of transgressions by the Chinese in Barahoti and Arunachal Pradesh, India and China would be holding their 13th round of corps commander talks. The talks are being held with an aim of resolving the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and reaching an agreement on the last remaining friction point in the Hot Springs area which had emerged post April-May 2020 aggression shown by Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
Army chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane said earlier this week that talks were likely to be held in the second week of October. The sources said that in the recent past, the Chinese have upped the ante as they have started transgressing into disputed territories as could be seen in Barahoti in Uttarakhand and Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh where they were engaged in face-off situations. Sources said that the face-offs happen when the patrolling parties of both sides meet at one location and ask each other to return to their respective areas. While the Chinese came to Barahoti in August and September, the face-off in the Arunachal Pradesh sector took place last week.