Chinese soldiers clash with Indian shepherds in Ladakh’s Kakjung Area | Watch Video

A video showing Chinese soldiers intercepting Indian shepherds in the Kakjung area of Ladakh and claiming the area belongs to China is doing the rounds on social media. The confrontation, which happened on January 2, saw the shepherds reportedly throwing rocks at the Chinese personnel, as per The Hindu.

The incident transpired near Patrolling Points (PPs) 35 and 36 at Kakjung under the Nyoma constituency in Ladakh. Ishey Spalzang, Councillor of Nyoma told the paper that the disputed area aligns with India's perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

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Video Reveals Absence of Indian Security Forces

The video caught the presence of Chinese soldiers and their vehicles in the region, while there is a notable absence of Indian security forces. The Ladakh MP, who shared the 6.50-minute-long video, said the shepherds refused to leave the place and even pelted stones at the soldiers. Watch here

Following the confrontation, on January 12, the sarpanch, sub-divisional magistrate, Indian Army, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officials visited the grazing site.

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Spalzang emphasised the valley's significance for winter cattle grazing. He recalled a similar attempt by the Chinese in 2019, countered by locals pitching tents to assert their claim. The nearest army unit, approximately 5-7 km away, was reportedly absent on the day of the incident.

Unpatrolled Patrolling Points Raise Concerns

The incident raises concerns as it occurred in an area with at least 26 out of 65 PPs in eastern Ladakh that have not been patrolled by Indian troops since April-May 2020. After violent clashes on June 15, 2020, where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in confrontations with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), tensions persist in the region.

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Despite multiple rounds of talks between the two countries to resolve the border issue, numerous areas in eastern Ladakh have become "buffer zones," with both Indian troops and Chinese forces refraining from patrolling.

Border Clashes With China Have Continued Despite Peace Talks

New details from the Indian Army's gallantry award citations reveal that Indian and Chinese soldiers engaged in clashes at least twice in 2022 along their Himalayan frontier, Reuters reported on January 17. The confrontations, marked by hand-to-hand combat, occurred amidst diplomatic and military talks between New Delhi and Beijing to resolve their ongoing standoff since 2020.

Contrary to the 2020 deadly clashes, the recent skirmishes in India's Ladakh region, with the last known occurrence in November 2022, did not result in any reported deaths. Both the Indian and Chinese armies have yet to provide official comments on the recent revelations.

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Details of the clashes surfaced following the award of gallantry medals to Indian soldiers who confronted Chinese troops attempting to enter Indian territory in two separate incidents in 2022.

Despite ongoing military and diplomatic discussions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, the standoff that began in mid-2020 remains unresolved. The India-China border dispute, rooted in the 1950s, has persisted, with a brief but bloody war fought over it in 1962.