India, China troops face off at LAC in Arunachal on Dec 9, 'minor injuries' on both sides: Reports

File image of a village near the India-China border (Reuters)

Troops of the Indian Army and China's People Liberation Army (PLA) were involved in a face off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, leading to "minor injuries" on both sides, news agency ANI reported, citing government sources, on December 12.

Following the face off, both sides "immediately disengaged" from the area, the sources reportedly said.

According to news agency PTI, at least six soldiers who were injured in the clash were brought to Guwahat for treatment.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the developments. An official statement was awaited by the time the preliminary reports had emerged.

As a follow-up of the incident, India's commander in the area "held a flag meeting with his counterpart" to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to "restore peace and tranquility", ANI reported, citing the persons privy to the development.

The report comes days after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the Parliament that India would not allow any attempt to change the status quo at the LAC.

"Diplomatically, we have been very clear with the Chinese – that we will not tolerate, we will not countenance unilateral attempts to change the LAC and that, so long as they continue to seek to do that and if they have built up forces, which in our minds constitute a serious concern in the border areas, then our relationship is not normal," the minister said in the Rajya Sabha on December 7.

Notably, India and China are in the process of complete disengagement from the Ladakh sector of LAC, where a standoff had erupted in May 2020.

In June 2020, a clash in Galwan Valley of Ladakh had led to casualties on both sides. According to the Indian Army, around 20 of its personnel were martyred in the Galwan clash. China's PLA had not disclosed the number of casualties it had incurred.

Since then, multiple rounds of military level talks led to the easing of tensions in eastern Ladakh sector of LAC. Both sides have disengaged from several friction points, including those in Galwan, Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hotsprings areas.