Tawang, 13 December 2022 (TDI): On 9 December 2022, Indian & Chinese troops clashed in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh. The Indian Army said on Monday that this clash has resulted in injuries, marking the most serious incident along the disputed mountainous border.
In addition, the Indian Army said that the People’s Liberation Army soldiers approached the border in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China.
Also, the statement by the Indian Army highlighted that both sides quickly withdrew from the area and local commanders met to discuss the dispute.
Statement made by the Defense Minister of India
India’s Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh while appearing before the Indian Parliament today accused Chinese troops of crossing into Indian territory. He said that China is “disrupting the status quo unilaterally.”
Moreover, Singh added that the two sides were engaged in hand-to-hand combat and no Indians were killed or seriously wounded. He did not give details about what had happened or how many soldiers were involved in the clash.
Statement made by Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry
On the other side, while answering India’s allegations today, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Wang Wenbin underscored that he had no details. He said that, in general, the border situation was “stable.”
“The two sides have always maintained smooth communication on border-related issues through diplomatic and military channels,” Wang underlined.
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Furthermore, reportedly twenty Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the incident. Both nations had thousands of soldiers stationed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) who were supported by artillery, tanks, and fighter jets.
Last week, the fighting between the two nations was the first between them since the deadly skirmishes in June 2020. Two years back, Chinese and Indian troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh.
Background of the Dispute
However, along their border, which crosses almost the whole Himalayan range, China and India have had several overlapping claims for years.
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Arunachal Pradesh was taken over by China in 1962. This was done during the deadly, high-altitude conflict between the two nations over the disputed areas before being handed back to India. On the other hand, China says Arunachal Pradesh is a part of South Tibet.
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