Chinese troops dare India again, intrude 20 kms inside Arunachal Pradesh

In yet another face-off with Indian Army similar to the one in Ladakh, Chinese troops intruded more than 20 kms into Indian territory last week.

Itanagar/New Delhi: In yet another face-off with Indian Army similar to the one in Ladakh, Chinese troops reportedly intruded more than 20 kms into Indian territory last week in Chaglagam area of Arunachal Pradesh and stayed there for about four days. A contingent of Peoples Liberation Army reportedly intruded into the Indian territory on August 11 and stayed put there, Defence sources said in Delhi on Wednesday. The intrusion was detected on August 13 and the Indian troops asked them to go back, the sources said. Both sides showed banners to each other to leave the area, the sources said. The Chinese soldiers left on August 15, they said. Official sources in Itanagar said the Chinese troops went back after a 15-minute Border Personnel Meeting.

"They had come and have gone. The Indian troops are now present at the spot in strength," the sources said. The Chaglagam area, also known as "fish tail" because of the shape of the LAC in the area, has consistently seen intrusions by the Chinese in the past but they have always gone back immediately. China lays claim over entire Arunachal Pradesh which is rejected by India. Both the Army headquarters in Delhi and the External Affairs Ministry downplayed the incident. "We don`t take up non-events in diplomatic practice. What has happened or not is upto sentinels of our borders to answer. They know the factual position on this and I think they have answered that. "There has been a rebuttal by the army on this and we don`t want to to go beyond that. And consequent to that, obviously, if that is what the position was, we don`t focus on non-events in diplomatic practice," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters in Delhi. He was asked whether India has taken up with China the issue of incursion in Arunachal Pradesh. A BJP leader from the state meanwhile claimed that Chinese troops transgressed the Line of Actual Control and had intruded 60 km inside Arunachal Pradesh. PTI