Ladakh incursions: India-China border talks today

New Delhi: Amid fresh reports of Chinese troops intruding into the Indian territory in Ladakh region, India and China will hold border talks on Tuesday. 

Three months after the 21-day stand-off in Depsang valley in Ladakh, Chinese troops again came deep inside the Indian territory in that area last week to reach upto 2 kms close to Indian posts, in one of five such incursions in the recent past. 

In the Chumar sector, the Chinese troops had entered the area on July 16-17 and July 18 also and before that, their choppers had entered and violated Indian air space on July 11. 

Called the 'Working Mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs,' the talks will look at the ground situation and how to resolve incursion. 

Depsang plains were the scene of a face-off in April when Chinese had pitched their tents 19 km inside India. 

They vacated their positions only after the two sides agreed to maintain pre-April 15 positions along the LAC in the entire Ladakh sector. 

During the incursion on July 16-17, around 50 Chinese troops entered the Chumar sector on horses and ponies and returned after spending the night in the Indian territory. 

In view of the increasing instances of incursion, the Indian Army formations in Ladakh have sought a flag meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Spangur Gap border meeting point in Ladakh, sources said. 

The meeting is expected to be held in the next few days. 

Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh, yesterday, briefed Defence Minister A K Antony on the current situation on the LAC, Army sources said.