More Chinese soldiers intrude into Chumar through different point

Around 50 People’s Liberation Army men arrived at Point 30R and they were in addition to the over 35 men who were already camping at a hillock in Chumar.

The standoff in Chumar region in Ladakh worsened on Saturday after a second intrusion by Chinese Army personnel in two days was reported at another point after they had withdrawn from the same area.

Around 50 personnel of the People’s Liberation Army arrived in nine vehicles at Point 30R and they were in addition to the over 35 personnel who were already camping at a hillock in the Chumar area itself, official sources said.

Chumar is located 300 km northeast of Ladakh.

The Chinese soldiers immediately alighted from the vehicles and positioned themselves barely 100m away from the Indian Army, which had decided not to withdraw completely from the region even after the Chinese PLA had returned on their own to their side on Thursday night, the sources said.

The 30R post in Chumar 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 Chinese activity deep across the border.

As many as 35 PLA men, who had returned on Friday morning at a different point in Chumar after going back the previous night, continued their stay for the second consecutive day on Saturday. Chinese helicopters were air-dropping food packets for its soldiers but had not violated the air space till now, the sources said.

The Army, which had started scaling down operations from the area following the Chinese withdrawal on Thursday night, put a halt and again started pitching their tents bracing themselves for a possible standoff, the sources said.