India rallies its ARMY at disputed border with China after recent clashes with Xi’s forces sparked fears of nuclear war
India is sending thousands of soldiers to the disputed border with China
Earlier this month, there were clashes between troops from both countries
India’s foreign minister said they would ‘counter’ attempts to change the border
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India has begun rallying troops along its disputed border with China after a clash between soldiers from the two nuclear-armed superpowers earlier this month.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said an unprecedented number of troops will be deployed along the 3,400-kilometer border with China.
Less than two weeks ago, an ‘encroachment’ by Chinese soldiers fueled fears of war by sparking a skirmish with Indian troops.
The new December 9 incident, which followed recent joint military exercises between the US and India near the border, resulted in “minor injuries to (a) few personnel from both sides,” a source said.
India has begun rallying thousands of troops along its disputed border with China after a clash between troops this month (Photo: A clash between troops in 2021)
A map shows the disputed border and locations of clashes between India and China
Relations between the two nations are at an all-time low since a June 2020 clash killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops on their high-altitude border.
“Today we have an Indian Army deployment on the Chinese border that we have never had before. It is being done to counter China’s deployment, which has scaled up massively since 2020,” Jaishankar said in Delhi on Monday.
India said the confrontation began due to “encroachment” by Chinese forces, while China’s foreign ministry said the situation at the border was “generally stable,” the BBC reported.
The dispute is set along a 2,100-mile de facto border called the Line of Actual Control.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (pictured) said an unprecedented number of troops are being deployed along the 3,400-kilometer border with China
A view of the road on the way to the Line of Actual Control, on the India-China border in Tawang, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh
Indian and Chinese soldiers come face to face and sometimes fight – but in hand-to-hand combat or with sticks and stones.
The latest skirmish took place on the disputed border with the Himalayas and followed recent joint US-India military exercises near the border.
Chinese soldiers approached the area near the Line of Actual Control, where it was agreed that neither side would patrol, sources said.
This move was “fought firmly and resolutely by (Indian) troops,” a source said.
After the skirmish, both sides “immediately withdrew from the area.”
An Indian commander later met with a Chinese counterpart “to discuss the matter in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquility.”
The incident took place in the Tawang sector of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, all of which is claimed by China. Beijing refers to the area as South Tibet.