Indian, Chinese soldiers clash in disputed border region, injuries reported on both sides

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A violent clash between soldiers from India and China was reported on Friday along a disputed part of a border that the two nations have sparred over for decades.

India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who addressed lawmakers in Parliament, said Friday’s encounter along the Tawang sector of eastern Arunachal Pradesh state started when Chinese troops "encroached into Indian territory" and "unilaterally tried to change the status quo" along the disputed border near the Yangtze River area.

Singh said no Indian soldiers were seriously hurt and troops from both sides withdrew from the area soon afterward. A statement from the Indian army on Monday said troops on both sides suffered minor injuries.

Singh said local military commanders met Sunday to discuss the dispute and the Indian government spoke to China through diplomatic channels.

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Indians hold placards as they shout slogans during a protest against China in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. Soldiers from India and China clashed last week along their disputed border. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

Col. Long Shaohua, the spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army’s Western Theater responsible for the area, said Chinese border guards organized "a routine patrol on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control" but were "blocked by the Indian army illegally crossing the line."

Indian journalist Shiv Aroor posted on Twitter that stones and fists flew during the altercation between the two sides that left nine Indian and 22 Chinese troops injured with fractures, black eyes and bruises.

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An Indian girl holds a placard during a protest against China in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

For decades, India and China have fiercely contested the Line of Actual Control, a loose demarcation that separates Chinese and Indian held territories from Ladakh in the west to India’s eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China fought a war over the border in 1962.

In recent years, soldiers from both sides have patrolled areas along the disputed border. Opposing soldiers often come into contact and the two Asian giants have accused each other of sending troops into the other’s territory.

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A view of the road on the way to the Line of Actual Control, at the India-China Border in Tawang, in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi, File)

The two sides engaged in a deadly skirmish in June 2020 in the Karakoram Mountains, where soldiers fought with stones, fists and clubs in an incident that resulted in at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers being killed.

"I can tell you that DOD continues to closely watch developments along the line of actual control at the India China border," Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said during a press conference on Tuesday. "We have seen the PRC continue to amass forces and build military infrastructure along the so-called LAC but I would defer you to India in terms of their views. It does reflect, though, and it's important to point out the growing trend by the PRC to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed towards U.S. allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific."

"We will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners and we fully support India's ongoing efforts to deescalate the situation."

Associated Press contributed to this report