Transgressing in ladakh sector once again, Chinese PlA troops entered almost 6 km deep inside line of Actual Control near the scenic Pangong lake area this week leading to a stand-off between security personnel of the
two sides.
The incident occurred on March 8 when a platoon of at least 11 PlA men led by a Colonel-rank officer crossed over the lAC at ‘Finger VIII’ Sirjap-I area close to the Pangong lake, sources said.
The Chinese soldiers entered in four vehicles — two light, one medium and one heavy—from across the Thakung border post of India and reached 5.5 km deep inside Indian territory, the sources said.
The Chinese soldiers were soon engaged by a patrol of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and they were locked in an eyeball to eyeball confrontation for a few hours after which the situation was defused and the other side retreated.
The Chinese platoon was led by a Colonel-rank officer and it included two Majors. The Chinese side was well equipped and the ITBP men were also carrying weapons and equipment for a long range patrol of the area.
The situation along the banks of the 90 sq km Pangong lake, two-third of which is in China, has always remained volatile with Chinese troops being intercepted by Indian Army patrol several times after the three-week long stand-off in the Depsang plains of Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in May, 2013.
China has also reportedly managed to construct a road up to Finger-IV area which also falls under Sirijap area and is five-km deep into the lAC.
The Army and the ITBP maintain that transgressions take place along the lAC due to different perception of the unresolved border.