PLA troops approach LAC in Arunachal, clash with Indian soldiers

New Delhi, Dec 12: Chinese troops approached the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh last week, but Indian troops firmly contested their way, leading to a clash between the two, sources said on Monday.

Although no loss of life or major injuries were reported but both some Indian and Chinese troops received some minor injuries during this clash, a source said.

It is the first physical clash between the two armies since August 2020 in eastern Ladakh. There was another incident in October 2021 at Yangtse, 35 km northeast of Tawang, where the Chinese attempt to get access to the top of 17,000 feet peak was thwarted and the area is now under snow and will remain so till March.

Top sources confirmed that a clash occurred between the two sides along the disputed section of the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 at Yangtse.

Soon after the clash, troops of both India and China immediately were disengaged from the area.

Accordig to the sources, the face-off in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh was the first incident of clashes between Indian and Chinese troops since the confrontation at eastern Ladakh.

There has been face-offs in this area in the past too.

Earlier this month China had also objected to the Indo-US joint military exercise at Auli in Uttarakhand. India had, however, dismissed China's objection, saying it did not give a veto to third countries on these issues.

Hitting back at China, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said the joint exercises with the US in Auli has nothing to do with the 1993 and 1996 agreements with China.