Chinese army makes fresh incursion into Ladakh; PM Narendra Modi likely to raise issue with President Xi Jinping

The Chinese army reportedly made a fresh incursion into the Chumar sector of Ladakh on Thursday morning, even as India and China held a flag meeting on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Chumar, where troops from both sides are engaged in a tense standoff.

According to reports, over 1,000 Chinese soldiers crossed the border into Chumar, intensifying the face off with the Indian Army. The Indian army has reportedly rushed three battalions to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sector. 

"The Ministry of External Affairs will raise the incursion issue with China," sources said.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, "Yesterday, these issues have already been raised at the highest level talks. We work to pursue  areas of co-operation between India and China."

He added, "All issues of substance will be raised today including recent issues, and will inform the outcome once those discussions are done".

The Brigadier-level flag meeting was held on Wednesday at a border personnel meeting point in Chushul, where the issue of intrusion of Chinese civilians into the Demchok area was also discussed, army sources said. This was the second flag meeting that has taken place in the last one week between the two sides to defuse the situation.

The incursion comes at a time when the Chinese President Xi Jinping is in India on a three-day visit. The Chinese head of state is scheduled to hold high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday .

Around 300 Chinese troops had entered Indian territory about five days ago, where they were confronted by a group of around 100 soldiers from the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police​ (ITBP) there.

Chumar is one of the very few places along the Line of Actual Control where access to the border areas is easier from the Indian side, and this place has witnessed several stand-offs in the last two to three years. 

Official sources said some of the Chinese troops had returned on Wednesday and it was generally expected that the others would also retreat to their side of the perceived LAC. However, as many as 100 more soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) arrived from a hillock of Chumar and strengthened their troop numbers to nearly 350, the sources said.

Chumar, located over 300 kilometres north-east of Leh and bordering Himachal Pradesh, has long been a flash point between the two sides, with the Chinese making several attempts to end India's dominance in the area. The PLA has been making repeated bids to claim Chumar as part of Chinese territory but has been thwarted every time by the Indian army.

The sources said vehicular movement was noticed on the Chinese side and it was believed the PLA was indulging in face-off tactics only to divert India's attention about the construction work being undertaken on their side. Under the agreement between the two sides, any country indulging in defence construction has to inform the other side.

Meanwhile, the stand-off in Demchok, where Chinese nomads the Rebos had pitched their tents, continued. The incursion in this area is nearly 500 metres deep into Indian territory, the sources said.