A Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldier was captured by Indian Army in Ladakh on Monday, reports said.
The soldier is likely to be handed over to PLA with a warning soon.
BIG: Chinese PLA soldier caught in Demchok, Ladakh by Indian Army. Top Govt sources tell me. India likely to formally hand him over to Chinese side with a warning soon. Statement expected shortly from the Indian Army.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 19, 2020
The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated following at least three attempts by the Chinese soldiers to “intimidate” Indian troops along the northern and southern bank of Pangong lake area between August 29 and September 8 where even shots were fired in the air for the first time at the LAC in 45 years.
As tensions escalated further, the foreign ministers of India and China held talks in Moscow on September 10 where they reached the five-point agreement to defuse the situation in eastern Ladakh.
In the last three months, the Indian Army rushed tanks, heavy weaponry, ammunition, fuel, food and essential winter supplies to various treacherous and high-altitude areas of the region to maintain combat readiness through the harsh winter of around four months starting around mid-October.
The eighth round of Corps Commander-level talks between India and China is likely to take place this week with a focus on carrying forward their discussions on the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh as the region enters the harsh winter season, government sources said.
There was no breakthrough on the disengagement of troops from the friction points during the seventh round of talks on October 12. Both sides had maintained that the talks were “positive and constructive”.
“The eighth round of military talks are likely to take place this week. The date is yet to be finalised,” said a source.
A joint press statement by the two armies a day after the last round of talks said that both sides agreed to maintain dialogue and communication through military and diplomatic channels to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution for disengagement “as early as possible”.
India has all along been maintaining that the onus is on China to carry forward the process of disengagement and de-escalation at the friction points in the mountainous region.
Source: Times Now
