\hinese troops reportedly destroyed around 17 unused bunkers after transgressing into Indian Territory at Chumar area of Leh district in Ladakh division last month, new details about the incursion revealed.
A report of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and that of the Central security agencies, sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, said two Chinese helicopters had entered one-and-a-half km into Indian airspace on August 25 and made a landing after a dozen PLA troops had deplaned and dismantled the bunkers and tents.
Though army denies any incursion by any helicopter, a report by local administration has claimed that the Chinese troops disembarked from the choppers and entered a kilometre inside Indian Territory dismantling the unused bunkers in Chumar.
However, on record, the officials are denying any such report due to obvious reasons. “We have no such information on this issue”, said T Angchok, district commissioner of Leh.
Sources said the incursion was detected by the paramilitary group which is located some kilometres away from the site which informed the higher-ups about it.
According to the reports, the Chinese troops left some cigarette packets and also painted the “red star” bearing the Chinese characters for “Eight One”, a move aimed at displaying that the area belonged to them. Red star is the insignia of ‘People’s Liberation Army and “Eight One” marks its birth.
Rigzin Spalbar, chief executive councilor of Ladakh (Leh) Autonomous Hill development Council said he was planning to visit the Chumar area very soon.
“I have no information about it (incursion in Chumar). I have a programme to visit the area. It is normal tour programme”, he said
This is the same area where Chinese troops had left the telltales of their incursion in 2009. Chinese army had painted the rocks red and left some empty food cans signaling the incursion in the area.
J&K government was building passenger sheds for the people living in this area in September-October when PLA of China troops entered into this side and asked the men to stop the work reasoning that is a disputed territory.
Fearing tension, the government decided to stop work and reported the matter to the army which is guarding the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh.
This was the second time that any developmental work has been abandoned on Ladakh under Chinese pressure. Earlier a road project was abandoned after Chinese army objected it its construction. — With PTI inputs
