Five youths who had reportedly been abducted by China’s PLA from Arunachal Pradesh last week have been located on the Chinese side.
The PLA has confirmed the presence of the missing youths and modalities are being worked out between the two sides for their handover to the Indian Army.
“China’s PLA has responded to the hotline message sent by Indian Army. They have confirmed that the missing youths from Arunachal Pradesh have been found by their side. Further modalities to hand over the persons to our authority are being worked out,” Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju tweeted.
The Arunachal Pradesh Police had on Monday said the whereabouts of the missing youth could not be known after a search team returned from the LAC. The five villagers from Upper Subansiri district were said to be engaged as porters and guides by the Indian Army.
They were part of a seven-member group which went hunting in a jungle and were reported missing by their families through social media last Friday.
On Monday, China had brushed off concerns over the whereabouts of the five missing youths and claimed it has never recognised the Northeastern State which it claims to be part of south Tibet, a claim consistently denied by India.
“China’s position on the east sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan (the southern part of China’s Xizang (Tibet)), is consistent and clear,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing on Monday.
“I’m not aware of the situation you mentioned,” the spokesperson said when asked about any updates about the missing Indian nationals.