The Indian Air Force (IAF) had to scramble its fighter jets in the region two or three times in the past few weeks in Arunachal Pradesh.
The scramble came after detecting Chinese aircraft close to the Line of Actual Control, a contested border between the two countries, sources have said.
The IAF has also been maintaining combat air patrols in the region over the last few days to keep an eye on the movement of the Chinese air force. The force has, however, said the training exercises on Thursday and Friday in the east are not connected to the border clashes with China.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the parliament earlier this week that Indian troops prevented Chinese soldiers from entering Indian territory on December 9 during the latest clash — using sticks and other weapons, but no guns — that led to injuries on both sides. China claims Indian troops illegally crossed the de-facto border to block a routine patrol by Chinese troops.
The latest incident in the Himalayan region of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh was the first reported clash between the two countries since the one in Galwan, a valley in Ladakh region, in 2020, when 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed.
The Indian government confirmed the clash only after news reports emerged four days on. It said a flag meeting was held between the commanders of both sides to calm the tension. It also refused to engage in a discussion over PM Narendra Modi's foreign policy claims in parliament even as the Congress, the main Opposition, said the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru had encouraged such a discussion during the 1962 war.
A day after the government confirmed the clash, a video of a previous skirmish emerged too, which was shared with a false message that this was the latest Tawang clash.
In the Yangtse river region in Tawang on December 9, there was a physical fight between the two sides but Indian soldiers "compelled the Chinese soldiers to return to their posts", pushing back in a "firm and resolute manner", Rajnath Singh has said.
The undemarcated border between India and China runs 3488 kms in all and has 25 points of dispute. One of these is Yangtse, which has been repeatedly targeted by the Chinese.
In the two years since the Galwan clashes, after multiple meetings between military commanders, Indian and Chinese troops had pulled back from key points.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Featured Video Of The Day
India-China Border Patrol Agreement: What It Means, Why It Is Important Opinion: Opinion | Modi 3.0 Is Leaving Nothing To Chance With Southeast Asia Heavy Military Fortifications Near China's Now-Complete Pangong Lake Bridge Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest "Speculative, Inaccurate": Canada Factchecks Own Media, Backtracks After India's Stinker Indian Student In US Accidentally Shoots Himself Dead While Celebrating Birthday Watch: How Barack Obama Narrated New Netflix Docuseries 'Our Oceans' Storm Bert: Warning Issued For Heavy Snow, Rain And Travel Chaos In UK Chimps Are Upping Their Tool Game. Why It Holds Relevance For Humans Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.