People’s Liberation Army troops enter 1.5km in Ladakh

Fresh intrusions have been reported by China’s People’s Liberation Army troops into Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. The Chinese troops left behind “tell-tale signs” such as painting boulders red in the remote region and inscribing “China” on them, well-placed defence sources in New Delhi confirmed.

Reacting to news agency reports from Leh, Ladakh, that the PLA had made incursions and entered about 1.5 km into Indian territory near Mt. Gya in Ladakh and that there was an incursion along the Zulung-La Pass on July 31, defence sources said there have been periodic incursions by the Chinese PLA into the Chumar area of Ladakh in India, but did not confirm incursions on any specific date. While confirming the Chinese incursions across the LAC, the defence sources said they had no information of any incursions across the international border.

“India and China have differing perceptions of the demarcation of the LAC. So when Chinese border patrols conduct their patrols on the basis of their perception of the border, they do leave tell-tale signs such as painting boulders red and inscribing ‘China’ in Man-darin on these,” defence sources said.

“Other tell-tale signs incl-ude leaving food items or small equipment behind,” said a source. A Chinese military helicopter had earlier intruded into Indian airspace in Ladakh in June, and this month.