According to a report published by Economic Times, more than 100 Chinese troops have transgressed into Indian Territory on August 30 through the border point at Barahoti ridge in Uttarakhand. The newspaper reported the news by citing unidentified government and security officials.
The report stated that the troops entered more than 5 kilometres into the Indian Territory by crossing the Tun Jun La in the area. The government is yet to give an official statement on the matter.
The Chinese soldiers also happened to damaged some infrastructure in the area, including a bridge, and left before patrol teams of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police could reach the spot.
The Chinese troops also brought 55 horses along with them and stayed in the area for around three hours during the reported incursion.
Situated on the north of the Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand, the Barahoti ridge is connected to the Joshimath district. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police monitors the nearly 350-kilometres long border between India and China in Uttarakhand.
According to the same report, local residents informed the authorities about the reported transgression, following which the Army and the Indo-Tibetan Police Force sent their patrol teams to the area.
The incident has raised security concerns since Barahoti is a demilitarised zone.
“Earlier also several attempts were made by the PLA [China’s People’s Liberation Army] to infiltrate the Barahoti area,” an unidentified government official said.
India and China do not share a defined and demarcated border which has led to frequent incursions. Instead, there is the Line of Actual Control, which stretches thousands of kilometres from Ladakh all the way to Arunachal Pradesh.
The report came even as the troops of the two countries have agreed to disengage from several friction points in the eastern Ladakh region.
