India-China stand-off along Sikkim border resolved after talks

Soldiers of the Indian Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army on Saturday (My 9) suffered minor injuries after being involved in a hand-to-hand face-off at a high altitude range in north Sikkim.

Reports of stone pelting and fierce fighting between 15 to 20 soldiers from both troops emerged from Nakula area in the Sikkim sector along the Sino-Indo border, official sources said.

The incident came to light after a video of the scuffle captured by an Indian Army soldier surfaced.

However, sources from the Army told NDTV that the soldiers disengaged and the matter was resolved after local commanders from both the sides met.

“Temporary and short duration face-offs occur as boundaries are not resolved. Troops resolve such issues mutually as per established protocols,” a source said.

A highly-placed Army personnel told Hindustan Times, “Four Indian soldiers and seven Chinese troops suffered injuries during the confrontation that involved around 150 soldiers.”

Earlier in August 2017, Indian and Chinese soldiers were engaged in a similar incident on the Eastern Bank of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh. It was the same year when the 73-day stand-off with China took place over Doklam plateau, an area claimed by China and India’s ally Bhutan.

Meanwhile, an informal summit at Wuhan between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2018, released news military guidelines for both nations to maintain peace and tranquility along the borders.