Chinese army leaves equipment behind in retreat after the clash in Tawang

Digital Desk:  Following the battle between Indian and Chinese forces in the Yangste area near Tawang sector, Indian forces retrieved sleeping bags and other equipment left behind by Chinese troops when they disengaged from the area and retreated to the other side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for safety. 

Sources states, the sleeping bags left behind by Chinese Army forces could help them live in open locations during extreme cold temperatures. While disengaging from the region, the forces also left behind some clothing and equipment.

On December 9, Chinese and Indian troops fought in the Yangste area near Tawang sector. According to reports, more than 300 Chinese soldiers attempted to gain access to the top of a 17,000-foot hill and remove an Indian station, but their efforts were foiled by forces on the Indian side. 

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Indian Air Force will commence a two-day integrated training exercise in the Northeast. The purpose of this exercise is to assess its aircraft's battle preparedness. 

"The Indian Air Force is slated to carry out an unified training exercise this week in the eastern sector where the aircraft's readiness would be evaluated," IAF sources informed ANI. The training activity was meticulously designed." 

These developments follow a skirmish between Indian and Chinese soldiers on December 9 in the Tawang area of the LAC. Both teams suffered minor injuries as a result of this fight. In the Tawang region, about 300 Chinese forces using spiked clubs and sticks battled with Indian soldiers.

A few soldiers from both sides were injured in the clash. Initially, six Indian soldiers were believed to have been hurt in the encounter, but Defence Minister Rajnath Singh assured Parliament that no severe casualties had been recorded on the Indian side. Following the clash, both sides immediately withdrew from the area.

Colonel Long Shaohua, a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) Western Theater, commented on the recent conflict between Indian and Chinese armed forces, saying that PLA border guards organised "a routine patrol on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control" but were "blocked by the Indian Army illegally crossing the line." 

According to the Associated Press, he said, "We implore the Indian side to firmly control and limit front-line soldiers, and to work with China to maintain peace and serenity on the border."

For nearly six decades, India and China have been at odds over the Line of Actual Control. In 1962, India and China went to war over the LAC. The LAC connects the Chinese and Indian-held areas of Ladakh in the west to eastern Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims altogether.