IAF sends Sukhoi Su-30MKIs after Chinese chopper seen near Ladakh border, Sino-India tensions cool down

IANS photo

New Delhi: Chinese helicopters were spotted flying close to the undemarcated border between India and China in Eastern Ladakh after around 250 soldiers of both sides were engaged in a fierce face-off near Pangong Lake in the area last week. The situation in the area remained tense after the violent clashes between the troops on Tuesday evening. 

The Indian Army, however, claimed that tensions between the two sides in the area have subsided.

The Chinese military helicopters were seen flying close to the Line of Actual Control on at least a couple of occasions after which a fleet of Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force too were sent to carry our sorties in the area. Additional troops were also rushed in to the site following the fracas.

In the face-off on May 5, scores of Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed along the northern bank of the Pangong Lake and even resorted to stone-pelting. The incident led to a number of soldiers on both sides receiving injuries. 

Tensions between Indian and Chinese troops started in February this year on the banks of the 135-km-long Pangang Lake in eastern Ladakh when Chinese troops stopped Indian soldiers from patrolling the Finger 2 area. The Indian soldiers frequently patrol the area. 

There are five hills leading to the lake, which are known as Finger 1 to Finger 5 The road up to Finger 2 is built on which Indian soldiers carts move easily. 

In the last week of April, the presence of the troops on both sides increased and on the nights of May 5-6, a violent clash took place, leaving many troops injured. Indian soldiers tried setting up a cottage in the area which was strongly protested by Chinese soldiers. A scuffle took place between soldiers of two nations.

Early in August 2017, another incident of the two sides exchanging blows around the Pangong Lake was reported. In a separate incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector of the Sino-India border on Saturday. At least 10 soldiers from both the sides sustained injuries in the incident.

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017 which even triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.