India, China troops clash in Sikkim, injuries on both sides
Monday, 25 January 2021 (13:26 IST)
Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the northern Sikkim border region on Friday, Indian media reported on Monday.
The skirmish left soldiers injured on both sides, Indian military officials were quoted as saying by local media.
India Today reported that Chinese soldiers attempted to cross the Naku La border crossing but were physically blocked by Indian troops.
Some 20 Chinese and four Indian soldiers were injured despite sources saying that no firearms were used.
By Monday the situation had calmed and was under control, the Times of India reported.
On-going tensions in the Himalayas
The brawl took place in the region connecting the Indian Sikkim region with Tibet where violence broke out in May last year.
In June, soldiers from the world's two most populous countries fought each other with fists and wooden clubs, leaving several dead, in the Galwan valley of the Ladakh region - one of the disputed Kashmir territories.
De-escalation talks between the rival powers were held on Sunday in Ladakh where both sides have been amassing hundreds of thousands of troops on either side of the border.
The two countries fought a border war in 1962. Sporadic clashes in recent years have once again brought up the threat of an open conflict.
