New Delhi, May 12: Chinese choppers were spotted flying close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China in Eastern Ladakh after around 250 troops of both sides were engaged in a face-off near Pangong Lake in the area last week, official sources said.
The simmering tension was controlled after local commanders of both the sides met.
As per the reports, Indian Air Force (IAF) had to rush in after spotting the Chinese helicopters. But the sources in the IAF said, it was a routine affair.”
The Indian airspace had not been violated and deployment of IAF jets was part of its regular training sortie, the sources added.
After the fierce face-off, both sides brought in additional troops.
The sources said Chinese military helicopters routinely carry out sorties on the Chinese side of the border while Indian Army helicopters also fly in the area.
When asked, an Army spokesperson said, “Incidents of face-off and aggressive behaviour occur on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Patrols disengage after local level interaction and dialogue. Temporary and short duration face-offs occur as boundary is not resolved.”
“I clarify that there is no continuing face-off at the Pangong Tso lake. There is no build-up of armed troops in the area,” he said.
The sources said the spotting of Chinese helicopters in the area was nothing unusual as India too flies a fleet of military choppers in the area from three bases in the region.
IAF sources said a range of its aircraft, which also comprises Sukhoi-30 jets, have been carrying out routine sorties in the region including on May 6, adding there was no violation of Indian airspace in the area by the Chinese side. The IAF conducts routine sorties in the region from Leh and Thoise airbases.
In the face-off on May 5, troops of India and China clashed along the northern bank of the Pangong Lake and even resorted to stone-pelting.
It was the first case of troops from the two sides exchanging blows after a similar incident around the Pangong Lake in August 2017.
In a separate incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector of the Sino-India border on Saturday.
