The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has violated the Line of Actual Control several times in the past two months at several places across the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand, according to intelligence reports.
Quoting an unnamed official, the Hindustan Times reported that, the Chinese transgression is not limited to Eastern Ladakh alone. “In one case, the PLA transgressing up to 40km inside Indian territory before withdrawing,” the report read.
India and China have been involved in a standoff since April in which both sides have suffered casualties. At least 20 Indian Army soldiers, including a commanding officer, were killed, and 80 injured, in Galwan in a faceoff at Eastern Ladakh on June 15.
Hindustan Times in its report quoted an unnamed official saying that the PLA entered Arunachal Pradesh twice in July. “The Chinese soldiers transgressed at least 26km inside Indian territory in district Anjaw and “camped for three to four days”, in the first half of that month, before exiting.
In the second instance, also in Anjaw, the PLA transgressed through Arunachal’s Hadigra Pass and came in 40km, and retreated only after leaving telltale marks.
Briefing about another incident of transgression, the report read that in early August, there was another face-off in eastern Sikkim’s Jelep La area in which the PLA occupied the higher ground and rolled stones onto Indian Army troops.
PLA’s presence was noted in Uttarakhand’s Tanjun La Pass “for the first time this year in Mid August”.
The Indian Army did not officially comment on the multiple transgressions.
On Monday, the Indian Army said in a statement that PLA troops attempted to “close in with one of our forward positions along the LAC and when dissuaded by our own troops, fired a few rounds in the air” to intimidate “our troops”. The statement added that the Indian troops exercised “great restraint”.