GUWAHATI, DEC 16: General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita on Friday said the recent border skirmish between Indian troops and Chinese soldiers in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh was the transgression by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) patrol was “contested firmly”.
The skirmish occurred between their forces on Dec. 9, in the Tawang sector in northeastern India’s Arunachal Pradesh state, near the border with Chinese-controlled Tibet.
Kalita informed that a flag meeting at the delegation level at Bumla has helped in further resolving the matter.
“You all are aware that all across the border there are different perceptions in the Line of Actual Control (LAC), there are eight recognized disputed areas where the different perceptions are acknowledged by both sides. So in one of those areas, where there are different perceptions of the LAC, PLA patrol transgressed and which was contested very firmly,” Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita said.
The stament came from the top Army officer, while addressing the media, during the wreath-laying ceremony, on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of Vijay Diwas.
He urged the general public not to believe in any rumours about the incident, underlining that the clash contained.
“I am happy to say that it was contained at the local level. Though some minor injuries were there to soldiers of both sides. I would also like to request you to not to listen to any rumours, it was only minor injuries to soldiers from both sides,” Kalita added.
Each country blamed the other for sparking the clash. In a statement on Monday, the Indian army said there were “minor injuries” to a few personnel from both sides.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the Chinese soldiers crossed the Line of Actual control, de-facto border between the two countries in the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir, parts of which are also claimed by Pakistan.
The line divides Ladakh in the Indian-controlled area from the Chinese-administered Aksai Chin.