Standoff continues: Chinese troops pitch 7 tents in Ladakh’s Chumar area

Leh/New Delhi: The stand-off in Chumar area of Ladakh area took a new turn today with Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) pitching seven tents well within the Indian territory and showing no signs of withdrawing from the territory.

The Chinese who had arrived in vehicles on Saturday in Chumar, 300 km from Leh, started erecting the tents in the Indian territory despite repeated warnings by the army to vacate the area, official sources said.

Nearly 100 personnel of the PLA strength was estimated around Point 30R, a strategically important post, as it helps India to keep a vigil deep inside the occupied territory of Chinese, they said.

This incursion was in addition to the 35-odd personnel who were already camping at a hillock in the Chumar area itself, the sources said.

The Chinese soldiers were demanding that Indian army should withdraw simultaneously from the area but the army had decided to dig in its heels.

The Chinese soldiers had retreated to their territory on Thursday night.

The Point 30R post has been frequented by PLA often as Indian Army has kept an observation post which dominates the Line of Actual Control(LAC) and gives advantage to India in keeping a vigil on the Chinese activity deep across the border.

Chinese helicopters were again seen in action for dropping food packets for its soldiers but none of them violated the air space.

The food packets were later collected by the PLA personnel and stored inside the tents.