New Delhi: Amid the ongoing nine-month-long faceoff between the Indian and Chinese armies along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), at least two incidents of physical fight have taken place between the two sides in the Sikkim axis of the India-China border, sources have told ETV Bharat.
While the first incident reportedly took place in the first week of January near Lachung, on the LAC in north Sikkim, the second incident took place in the nearby Naku La area.
The sources said in the first incident two officers and ten soldiers of the PLA were injured, while three soldiers from the Indian Army were injured.
On the first incident, a source told ETV Bharat: "An Indian army patrolling team spotted Chinese PLA setting up bunkers on no man's land between India and China. A brawl broke out after Indian troops dismantled the bunkers. Many were hurt but the injuries are non-fatal. The matter was being sorted out."
The sources added that the PLA had video-graphed the incident which was shown to the Indian Army during a flag meeting at Nathu La (Sikkim), which is one of the five meeting points between the two militaries along the border. The four other points are Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul (in Ladakh), Bum-La and Kibithu (in Arunachal Pradesh).
The second incident was confirmed by the Indian Army in a statement issued today (Monday). "There was a minor faceoff at Naku La area of north Sikkim on 20 January 2021 and the same was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols."
Read: India, China troops clash at LAC: Reports
The statement also requested the media to refrain from 'playing up' reports that may be 'factually incorrect'.
Interestingly, a report in the state-affiliated Chinese media on Monday denied that any violent incident had taken place. A 'Global Times' report said: "There have been minor frictions between the frontline forces of the two countries, but if there had been friction involving casualties, it is impossible for them not to be recorded in the Chinese patrol logs."
The latest incidents have taken place amid a series of meetings between the two sides to "disengage and de-escalate" from the huge and unprecedented mobilisation taking place all along the border between the two Asian giants from Ladakh in the west to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
Nine rounds of talks have taken place till now on Sunday (January 24, 2021), June 6, June 22, June 30, July 14, August 2, September 21, October 12 and November 6 of last year.
Read: Ladakh standoff: 9th round of India, China Corps Commanders talks last for over 15 hrs
Efforts by the two sides to play down reports of physical fights may be reflective of a willingness to resolve the raging border row even amid a harsh winter and extremely difficult conditions and even a possible realisation that brinkmanship would not pay.
At the same time, there is no doubt that both sides have consolidated their military positions along the long border and that ground rules have changed as has the existing resolution mechanisms to resolve border differences.
