The haze has lifted over the false narrative China had tried to weave yesterday about India intruding into their territory and firing provocative shots.In fact, it was the Chinese Army which was attempting to close-in on one of our forward positions along the LAC. This was part of the Chinese gambit to dislodge Indian soldiers from the heights they have occupied recently.Result: the Chinese and Indian soldiers were eyeball to eyeball on the south bank of Pangong Lake, between Rechin La-Rezangla-Mukhpari and Magar Hill. There were no less than 30 to 50 Chinese soldiers holding weapons, including guns, spears and machetes. The PLA soldiers even fired 10-15 rounds in the air in an attempt to intimidate the Indian troops but the latter refused to get provoked into a bloody replay of the Galwan faceoff, said sources.
On that fateful night, 20 Indian soldiers were killed after the PLA troops attacked them with boulders, rocks wrapped with barbed wire and wooden logs embedded with nails.Exclusive photographs emerged on Tuesday which showed the Chinese troops holding spears and rifles at the new flashpoint. This is the first direct evidence of the mass use of medieval-style weapons of war by the Chinese army.Sources said it was clearly their intention to potentially get into a skirmish with Indian soldiers.According to experts, China continues to dish out lies and half-truths to keep its international and domestic audience confused about what is happening in eastern Ladakh. To add to the confusion, it also loves playing the victim card and the rhetoric has become part of its official response to a given situation.
So, on Tuesday, Indian Army's rejoinder notwithstanding, the Chinese foreign office spokesperson continued to harp on the fiction that India had intruded in its territory and fired warning shots after which PLA was forced to respond.Determined to muddy the waters further, it rubbished a detailed Indian Army statement that "at no stage it has transgressed the LAC (Line of Actual Control), nor has it resorted to use of any aggressive means, including firing. Instead, it is the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army of China) that has been blatantly violating agreements and carrying out aggressive manoeuvres.''
