Incursion alert! Chinese Army pushes in more troops into Chumar

Leh/New Delhi, Sep 18: Heightening tension, the Chinese Army pushed in more troops into Chumar village along the Line of Actual Control in the wee hours today, hours before the summit meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to sources, the Chinese side pushed in more troops before the break of dawn with more banners asking the Indian Army to leave the area. Both the armies were maintaining a distance of 200 metres from each other.

The entire issue started on Sunday when Indian troops detected a construction activity being undertaken by the Chinese side well within the Indian territory in Chumar area, official sources said, adding the army stopped the activity and increased its strength.

The two sides have held two flag meetings so far which included a marathon discussion yesterday that continued for several hours and remained inconclusive. The Chinese side had pushed in more troops yesterday morning as well, the sources said, adding the number of People's Liberation Army personnel stood at nearly 500 with an equal matcher from the Indian side as well.

Chumar, located more than 300 kms Northeast of Leh and bordering Himachal Pradesh, has been a flash point between the two sides with the Chinese side making several attempts to end India's dominance in the area.

The PLA has been making repeated bids to claim Chumar as part of Chinese territory but has been thwarted every time by the Indian army. The sources said the Chinese side were also carrying out defence work on their side.

Under the agreement between the two sides, any country indulging in defence construction has to inform the other sides. Meanwhile, the stand-off in Demchok where Chinese nomads -- Rebos -- had pitched their tents continued.

The incursion in this area is nearly 500 metres deep into Indian territory, the sources said.

PTI