Fake: Old image of India-China soldiers being passed of as clashes in Ladakh

New Delhi, Sep 09: Amidst the Indo-China tensions, an image of the Army has gone viral. The posts claim that soldiers are capturing a bunker in Ladakh.

Another user posted, 'breaking news, easter Ladakh high clashes." These posts have been shared and commented upon multiple times. Although there are skirmishes at the border between India and China, the image in circulation is an old one and not that of a skirmish or clash.

While using the reverse image search, it led us to images posted by the Northern Command, Indian Army. The image which is being passed off as a scene of a clash from Ladakh is actually part of the Army's exercise in a joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relied. The post is titled, Joint Sino-Indian Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief Exercise conducted by soldiers in Ladakh. This exercise was carried out in October 2016.

Joint Sino-Indian Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief Exercise conducted by soldiers in Ladakh.@adgpi pic.twitter.com/x1GIF2OzdP

— NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) October 20, 2016

This was reported by several media outlets. A PTI report of October 20 2016 said, in a first, India and China on carried out a joint army exercise in eastern Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, a move that comes amid hectic diplomatic manoeuvring between the two countries over a host of issues like Nuclear Suppliers Group and designation of Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the United Nations.

During the day long exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) a fictitious situation of earthquake striking an Indian Border village was painted. Thereafter joint teams carried out rescue operations, evacuation and rendering of medical assistance.

This was done as a sequel to the first Joint Exercise held on February 6 in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison.

Sources said that in February, the exercise was held in the Chinese side and this time in the Indian side along the line of Actual Control.

The Indian team for the exercise was led by Brigadier R S Raman and that of the Chinese was led by Sr Col Fan Jun.

The exercise was a great success and has not only refined the drills to provide succour to the border population in case of natural calamity but has also increased the level of trust and cooperation between the two border guarding forces along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the Army said in a statement in New Delhi, the report also said.