Indian, Chinese Troops Clashed Twice Along LAC After 2020 Galwan Incident: Report

Two incidents of clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along the border have surfaced, highlighted in the citations for gallantry awards bestowed upon Indian Army personnel. The citations briefly detail how Indian troops responded resolutely to aggressive behaviour from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

According to a PTI report, the Army's Western Command, headquartered in Chandimandir, initially uploaded a video of the January 13 ceremony featuring commentary on the gallantry award to its YouTube channel but deactivated it on Monday. The clashes occurred between September 2021 and November 2022, with no immediate comment from the Army on the matter.

In response to the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, the Indian Army has maintained high combat readiness along the 3,488 km-long LAC. Numerous incidents along the LAC between Indian and Chinese troops have transpired in the last three-and-a-half years since the eastern Ladakh border row erupted in May 2020.

On December 9, 2022, PLA troops tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of the Tawang Sector and unilaterally changed the status quo, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament four days after the incident.

During the investiture ceremony, several Indian Army personnel who played a crucial role in responding to the attempted Chinese transgression were conferred with gallantry awards, according to sources. The scuffle resulted in injuries to a few personnel on both sides.