China occupies North Doklam, say reports

India seems to be in "new trouble" as reports indicated that China has occupied North Doklam.

New Delhi, Jan 18: India seems to be in "new trouble" as reports indicated that China has occupied North Doklam.

According to latest satellite images accessed by ThePrint, Beijing has almost completely taken control of the northern side of Doklam, just five months after India and China decided to end their military standoff in the disputed plateau.

Last year, neighbouring countries India and China were involved in a standoff near the tri-border junction at Doklam in the Sikkim region beginning from June 16 to August 28.

"The new images show concrete posts, seven helipads, new trenches and several dozen armoured vehicles close to the point where the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops were locked in a 72-day confrontation last year," stated ThePrint report.

According to NDTV, a massive, full-fledged Chinese military complex is being built within Doklam as per new satellite images.

The clearest-ever satellite images available so far indicate a Chinese buildup within the region that Bhutan claims as its own, added NDTV report.

In fact, on Wednesday, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said that a number of Chinese troops are still present at Doklam.

"As far as Doklam is concerned, PLA (People's Liberation Army) soldiers are there in a part of the area although not in numbers that we saw them in initially. They have carried out some infrastructure development which is mostly temporary in nature," Rawat said in New Delhi.

"While troops (of the PLA) may have returned and infrastructure remains, it is anybody's guess whether they would come back there or is it because of the winters that they could not take their equipment, but we are also there, so in case they come, we will face them," Rawat added.

The army chief said that bonhomie between India and China has returned.

"I think the bonhomie (between India and China) has returned to what was prior to Doklam, so I don't visualize a very serious trouble, but then one has to be prepared for it always," he added.

OneIndia News