New delhi: A video surfaced Sunday night purporting to show the August 15 clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers near the Pangong Lake (or Pangong Tso) in Ladkah through which the Line of Actual Control passes.
The video, initially shared by defence reporters on Twitter, went viral, but its authenticity could not immediately be verified. However, the visuals in the video matched reports of the Independence Day India-China clash: soldiers from the two nuclear-armed neighbours are seen punching and kicking one another and ultimately pelting stones at each other.
Soldiers can also be seen falling down, seemingly getting injured, again as reported earlier last week. According to Manu Pubby, one of the first journalists to share the video, Indian troops are the ones standing on the right when the video begins while Chinese PLA soldiers are the ones on the left.
The video surfaced a day after India formally confirmed that an "incident" had taken placed at Pangong So on August 15. The Ministry of External Affairs sought to downplay the incident, refusing to reveal details of the "incident" while saying that "peace and tranquillity" must be maintained between India and China.
"Today, I can confirm that there was an incident at Pangong Tso on August 15. This was subsequently discussed by the local army commanders of the two sides. Such incidents are not in the interest of either side. We should maintain peace and tranquillity," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Saturday.
"I just said there was an incident," Kumar added, refusing to confirm whether stones or rods had been used during the Ladakh confrontation, as reported by media last week and seen in the video from Sunday.
Sources told India Today last week that the Ladakh altercation lasted for around an hour and was brought under control after a customary banner drill, following which Indian and Chinese soldiers retreated to their respective positions.
The confrontation itself was sparked after a Chinese PLA unit came across an Indian patrol on the northern bank of the Pangong Lake, which is controlled in parts by India (one-third) and China (two-thirds). The Line of Actual Control passes through the lake.
The incident stood out because of the unusual violence - while Indian and Chinese soldiers are known to face-off along the LAC due to the non-delineation of the border, such use of force was unprecedented, as an initial intelligence assessment prepared by Indian agencies said.
Following the Ladakh clash, local army commanders from India and China discussed the incident in a Border Personnel meeting.
DOKLAM?
In a subtle reference to the ongoing standoff between the Indian Army and Chinese PLA in the Doklam region abutting the Sikkim border, MEA's Raveesh Kumar emphasised the Ladakh incident should not be linked to what was happening in other sectors.
The Ladakh altercation was particularly highlighted by Indian media as it came just as Indian and Chinese soldiers completed two months facing off at the Doklam plateau. The standoff began after Indian troops moved to stop a PLA road construction in the region mid-June.
Beijing slammed has what it calls an "illegal" transgression by New Delhi into its "sovereign" territory and has demanded an unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops. New Delhi, on the other hand, has pitched for a mutual withdrawal and has called for dialogue over the Doklam issue.
"It is a sensitive issue... We will continue to engage with China to find mutually acceptable solution. Peace and tranquillity in border areas are important pre-requisites for smooth development of bilateral relations," MEA's Raveesh Kumar said on Saturday when asked about the Doklam standoff. "I am not an astrologer, so cannot predict", he quipped, when asked when he foresaw a resolution to the faceoff.
