Ladakh Standoff: 'Warning Shots' Fired In Fresh Action Between Indian, Chinese Troops Near Pangong Tso Region

Both Indian Army and People Liberation Army (PLA) fired in the air to scare and push back each other near Shenpao mountain near the south bank of Pangong Tso (Lake).

(File Photo/ Getty)

New Delhi: In what comes as a fresh round of action along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, gun shots were fired on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday in the region were Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a military standoff. According to reports, both Indian Army and People Liberation Army (PLA) fired in the air to scare and push back each other near Shenpao mountain near the south bank of Pangong Tso (Lake). China issued a statement that the Indian army "blatantly fired threats" to the patrol personnel of the Chinese border guards who had made representations, and the Chinese border guards were forced to take "countermeasures to stabilise the situation on the ground". "India's actions seriously violated the relevant agreements and agreements between China and India, pushing up regional tensions and easily causing misunderstandings and misjudgments," Beijing said. The statement said it is serious military provocations and are of very bad nature. Both India and China are engaged in around four-month-long standoff at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues. Chinese People's Liberation Army's Western Theater Command, Colonel Zhang Shuili asked Indian Army to immediately stop dangerous actions, immediately withdraw cross-line personnel, strictly restrain front-line troops, and strictly investigate and punish personnel who fired shots to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. Meanwhile sources in Indian Army to stated that China resorted to firing in air to scare their patrol. The Indian Army's official statement is yet to come. Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane last week admitted to the fact that situation along LAC is tense and assured the nation that force is prepared for all contingencies. "The nation can count on us," said General Naravane who was on two-day visit to Ladakh where he also met troops deployed at forward locations along the LAC. On August 31, Chinese troops had indulged in provocative actions after Indian soldiers occupied the heights there to thwart a PLA land-grabbing bid over the weekend. On the intervening night of August 29 and August 30, 2020, PLA troops had violated the previous consensus agreed upon in military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo. Military representatives of both the countries are now engaged in a dialogue to de-escalate tensions.