Chinese troops crossed into Indian territory with road construction equipment, stopped by Indian Army

Chinese troops reportedly crossed into Indian territory with road building machinery in late December.

File photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: Chinese troops infiltrated into Indian territory near Bishing in Arunachal Pradesh in December and almost reached a border village in the Upper Siang district. 

However, they were stopped by involving the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Indian Army, said a Hindustan Times report on Wednesday. 

Locals in the border state confirmed the report of Chinese incursion to the media group and said that Indian security personnel intercepted the Chinese troops near the Bising village along the eastern bank of Siang river. 

Road construction machines including two excavators that Chinese troops were carrying were also seized by the Indian soldiers while adding that Chinese army were not allowed to go beyond the Geling village.

The Indian Army also sent a patrol to the faceoff site, where it continues to stay.

The incursion is said to have taken around several days ago, at around December 28, said a report.

It is the same time when representatives of two nuclear-armed neighbours held a meeting in New Delhi on December 22. 

The two representatives, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Member of Politburo of Communist Party of China’s Central Committee Yang Jiechi, called to resolve border differences between the two nations at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner of Upper Siang Duli Kamduk neither confirmed nor denied the incursion report saying, "there is no word from armed forces too". The Arunachal Chief Minister's office too expressed its ignorance on the incident.

China in recent times has increased its road construction activities in the border areas. 

In August last year, Indian and Chinese troops had a face-off in Dokalam plateau for 73 days after Indian soldiers stopped Chinese personnel from building a key road close to India's 'chicken's neck' corridor. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. 

On August 28, India announced the "disengagement" between the soldiers of the two countries.