NEW DELHI, December 13. /TASS/. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh confirmed an attempt by the servicemen of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to invade Indian territory in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
"On 09 December 2022, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of [the] Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo. The Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner," he wrote on his Twitter page on Tuesday.
According to him, "the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts." "The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides. I wish to share with this House that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side," the Indian defense minister stressed.
Singh reported that this "issue has also been taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels." According to him, the parties managed to "maintain peace and tranquility along the border."
"Our Forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it," the top military official concluded.
Border incident
On Monday, the ANI news agency, citing its sources, reported that on December 9, border troops of India and China clashed in the Tawang sector. According to the agency, the Chinese servicemen came to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which separates the two countries but were stopped by Indian troops "in a firm and resolute manner." Several servicemen on both sides sustained wounds. Both sides immediately left that area, according to the sources.
In May 2020, clashes occurred in the mountainous Ladakh region on the border of the two countries which resulted in casualties on both sides. India and China brought heavy artillery, tanks and aviation to the area. After a series of military and diplomatic talks last year, Beijing and New Delhi began a reciprocal troop withdrawal from the border. The absence of a demarcated border between India and China in the Himalayas (the two countries are separated by the LAC) has been the source of tensions for decades. In 1959, India reported that the Chinese side divested of a part of the state of Arunachal Pradesh and in 1962, an Indian-Chinese armed conflict erupted with about 38,000 square kilometers in Ladakh and Aksai Chin belonging to India coming under China’s control.