Chinese troops again entered almost six km deep inside Indian territory near the Pangong lake area of Ladakh region on March 8 but a patrol of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) sent them back in two hours, sources told HT.
Security sources said a platoon of at least 11 Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) men led by a Colonel-rank officer crossed over Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China at ‘Finger VIII’ Sirjap-I area close to the lake.
The Chinese troops were engaged by the ITBP men deployed there.
“The ITBP men showed banners and told the Chinese troops to go back. After a two-hour long verbal duel, the Chinese men went back. Such incidents keep on happening because of difference of perception on the LAC,” said a security official requesting anonymity.
Several times Indian troops have intercepted Chinese troops along the banks of the 90 sq km Pangong lake, two-third of which is in China. India and China had a three-week long stand-off in the Depsang plains of Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) in May, 2013. China has also managed to construct a road up to Finger-IV area which also falls under Sirijap area and is five-km deep into the LAC.