Nuclear-armed countries India and China have been in tense-border-standoff situations since April 2020. However, more recently there seems to have been another tense issue between the two countries.
In a statement to Reuters, an Indian Army official has confirmed: “It is clarified that there was a minor face-off at Nakula area of North Sikkim on 20 January 2021 and the same was resolved by local commanders as per established protocols,”
Sikkim is in the eastern Himalayas, thousands of miles away from Ladakh where the military crisis began last year. This reportedly led to hand-to-hand combat that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an unspecified number of Chinese casualties.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Zhao Lijian said in a statement in a general news briefing: “We hope both sides will take proper actions to manage their differences and take concrete actions to safeguard peace and stability along the border.” He had no comment on the standoff in particular.
Reports from India says that the latest incident sustained injuries in Sikkim resulted in injuries on both sides but declined to make any further comment. According to Reuters, the Army also said, “Media is requested to refrain from overplaying or exaggerating reports which are factually incorrect,”
The latest round of talks between both countries took place this past Sunday. There has been no word yet on the talks.
