Routine Patrolling, Not Intrusion By PLA in Chumar: Reports

Army sources have reportedly said the movement was part of routine patrolling, “and not a transgression attempt.”

Image used for representational purpose.

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Days after tensions flared up once more in Ladakh between the Indian and Chinese troops, the Indian Army, according to The Print’s journalist Snehesh Alex Philip, has clarified that the reports of PLA attempting an intrusion in Chumar are false.

“Army clarified that reports of intrusion attempts by PLA in Chumar are NOT true. The activities mentioned in a tweet by a news agency were routine peacetime activities on their side of the LAC and the same cannot be inferred as an intrusion attempt.”   

Snehesh Alex Philip   

According to The Indian Express, too, Army sources have informed that the movement of Chinese vehicles noticed in the Chumar sector, was apparently a part of routine patrolling, “and not a transgression attempt.”

Meanwhile, The Indian Express has maintained, that, according to Indian Army sources, the pre-emptive moves were carried out in “more than one location.”

A Contradictory Report

An ANI report, on the other hand, on Tuesday, 1 September, quoted sources and said that the Indian security forces on Tuesday foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the general area of Chumar.

According to the report by ANI, around seven to eight heavy vehicles of the Chinese army set off towards the Indian side of the LAC from their Chepuzi camp. Reportedly, Indian security forces reacted to this by making precautionary deployments to prevent any intrusion.

Sources told ANI that on seeing the vehicles from the Indian side along with troops, the Chinese vehicle convoy returned towards their bases.

The report further said that Indian security forces are on high alert all along the LAC to prevent any incursion by the Chinese in any sector.

China Tried to Change Status Quo in the South Bank Area of Pangong Lake: MEA

In a fresh sign of escalating tensions between the neighbouring countries in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army had said in a statement on Monday that Chinese troops violated the previous consensus on the night of 29-30 August and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

Further, in a statement on Tuesday, the MEA said that the Chinese side had engaged in “provocative action” yet again on 31 August while ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation.

China violated diplomatic channels and “engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of 29th and on 30th August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake”, said the MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

China, on its part, has rejected claims that Chinese border troops tried to carry out violations along the border.