SRINAGAR, India: A video purportedly showing the violent confrontation and stone pelting between Chinese and Indian forces has emerged on social media.
In the video troops can be seen exchanging blows and engaging in stone pelting though there was no use of any firearms. The Indian side had confirmed the incident. However, it is yet to issue any statement on the video.
The incident occurred on August 15 at Pangong.
Indian and Chinese soldiers yelled and hurled stones at one another high in the Himalayas in the Ladakh region of Kashmir, escalating tensions between two nations already engaged in a lengthy border standoff elsewhere.
The Chinese soldiers hurled stones while attempting to enter Ladakh region near Pangong Lake but were confronted by Indian soldiers, said a top police officer. The officer said Indian soldiers retaliated but neither side used guns.
China did not comment directly on the reported incident, but called on India to comply with earlier agreements and help maintain peace and stability along the border.
An Indian intelligence officer said the confrontation occurred after Indian soldiers intercepted a Chinese patrol that veered into Indian-held territory after apparently it lost its way due to bad weather.
The officer said that soon the soldiers began shouting at each other and later threw stones. He said some soldiers from both sides received minor injuries.
After nearly 30 minutes of facing off, the two sides retreated to their positions, he said.
An Indian military officer said the skirmish was brief but violent and for the first time stones were used.
All the officers spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
- With inputs from Agencies
