Troops engage in faceoff in Tawang, MoD issues formal statement
Tension flared up at the border in the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh after Indian and Chinese troops came to blows leading to injuries to some soldiers on each side. Wounded six Indian soldiers have airlifted to Guwahati for treatment. The local commanders of both armies held flag meetings thereby defusing the situation. According to India’s Defence Ministry officials, the incident took place on December 9 in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh at the Line of Actual Control (LAC)when the Chinese troops came there and the Indian soldiers contested their presence.
Number of Chinese soldiers injured more than that of Indian soldiers
This face-off led to a scuffle between the two sides resulting in minor injuries on both sides. While the Chinese side is tightlipped, Indian officials said on Monday that more Chinese soldiers met with injuries and six Indian soldiers met with minor injuries in the scuffle. This was the first physical scuffle between the two armies in two years when violent face-offs erupted in some parts of the LAC in Eastern Ladakh leading to a major brawl on June 15, 2020, in the Galwan valley. Twenty Indian soldiers including the commanding officer were killed and more than 40 Chinese also died in the bloody clash.
Different perceptions along LAC in the Tawang Sector
As regards the latest incident, Indian Army sources said in certain areas along the LAC in the Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh there are areas of differing perception, wherein both sides patrol the area up to their claim lines. This has been the trend since 2006. On 09 December 2022, PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang Sector which was contested by their own troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides.
Both sides immediately disengaged from the area
Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow-up of the incident, own Commander in the area held a Flag Meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity. This sector in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh has seen such face-offs in the past also but it is the first time since 2020 that a physical fight took place, sources said adding this has led to tension in the border areas there.
The situation will remain tense till the status quo ante is restored
The clash has come a week after Indian and Chinese troops disengaged from the last stand-off site in eastern Ladakh in late September. India has all along said relations between the two countries can not be normal till the status quo ante is restored as prevailing before May 2020 in Ladakh.
Incident comes days after Modi-Xi had a courtesy meet
With the latest incident in Arunachal Pradesh, the focus has again shifted to China’s intentions regarding the LAC dispute and the Indian security establishment shortly will take an exhaustive view of the situation all along the 4,000-long LAC. It stretches from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Moreover, the incident comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had a courtesy meeting at a function on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.
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