Indian, Chinese troops came face-to-face in Chumar
New Delhi, July 12: Indian and Chinese troops were in a "face-to-face" situation in Chumar area of Ladakh after Chinese had "transgressed" into Indian territory on June 17 and removed surveillance camera which were subsequently returned, officials admitted here on July 11.
Observing
that
there
were
some
"sensitivities"
involved
on
Chinese
side
given
the
strategic
advantage
to
India
in
Chumar,
official
sources
said
"the
Chinese
patrol
did
transgress
and
there
was
a
face-to-face
with
the
Indian
patrol......after
which
the
Chinese
patrol
went
back
to
their
normal
bases."
The intrusion took place on June 17 when the troops of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered Indian territory in Chumar sector and started vandalising the observation bunkers besides cutting the wires which overlook the Chinese territory.
Chumar, located 300km from here, has always been an area of discomfort for Chinese troops as this is the only area along the Sino-Indian border where they do not have any direct access to the Line of Actual Control(LAC).
The 21-day face-off between the two sides in the remote Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector on April 15 was triggered by construction of an observation tower in Chumar division which had to be subsequently dismantled by the Army on May 5 before the crisis was defused.
The Chinese side, according to the minutes of the flag meetings in the last week of March this year, had been objecting to the construction of the watch tower along the LAC in Chumar.
After dismantling the observation post and defence bunkers, the Army had installed cameras to monitor the movement of Chinese troops along the LAC, a step which had irked PLA.
This
area
is
not
accessible
from
the
Chinese
side
whereas
the
Indian
side
has
a
road
almost
to
the
last
point
on
which
the
Army
can
carry
loads
upto
nine
tonnes.
The sources also said the discussions on Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) was "work in progress" and refused the divulge any details. When asked about reports that China has demanded a freeze on infrastructure construction along the LAC and also on the proposed mountain strike corps, the sources said it was not up to any other country to tell India about its security build-up.
PTI