Indian troops prevented Chinese soldiers from entering Indian territory last week during a border scuffle that led to injuries on both sides, India's defence minister said on Tuesday, in the first such clash since 2020 between the Asian giants.
The incident occurred on Dec. 9 in the Tawang sector of India's northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China's south and is also claimed by Beijing.
The Indian troops "illegally crossed the line to block" a routine patrol of Chinese border troops, a spokesperson from the Western Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) said on Tuesday.
"We urge the Indian side to strictly control and restrain the front-line troops, and work with China to maintain peace and security on the border," the spokesperson said.
An Indian defence source told Reuters patrolling teams from both sides came face-to-face at one of the peaks there and that in an ensuing hand-to-hand fight, some soldiers fell on the rocky surface and injured themselves. Two other sources said around half a dozen Indian soldiers suffered minor injuries.
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