China claims Indian troops crossed LAC near Pangong Tso

Chinese government owned Global Times has claimed that Indian troops "illegally crossed" the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Pangong Tso on Monday and accordingly Chinese troops were forced to take "countermeasures" to stabilise the situation.

"Indian troops crossed the LAC at the west section of the China-India border, into the Shenpao mountain region near the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake," the Global Times reported quoting senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, a spokesperson of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) western command theatre.

"The Indian side's move seriously violated related agreements reached by both sides, stirred up tensions in the region, and would easily cause misunderstandings and misjudgments, which is a serious military provocation ...", the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson demanded that the Indian Army personnel "to immediately stop dangerous moves, withdraw personnel who crossed the LAC at once".

"We demand Indian side to immediately stop dangerous moves, withdraw personnel who crossed the LAC at once, strictly control frontline troops, seriously investigate and punish the personnel who fired the provocative shot and ensure similar incidents won't take place again," Zhang was quoted as saying.

An incident of firing took place on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Eastern Ladakh sector where troops of India and China have been engaged in a stand-off for over three months, sources said on Tuesday.

India recently outflanked China by taking control of strategic height near Pangong lake's southern bank. It thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh.

"On the night of August 29-30, People's Liberation Army troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," said Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement.

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan valley in June. 

-ANI

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