Chinese soldier held by Indian troops after straying across disputed Himalayan border into Ladakh
- Arrangements are being made to return the soldier who was said to have become disoriented by the darkness and mountain terrain
- Tensions have been high for months following a deadly clash last June in the Galwan Valley
A Chinese soldier who accidentally crossed the contested border in the Himalayas is waiting to be handed over by the Indian army, both sides said on Saturday.
People’s Liberation Army Daily, the official news platform of the Chinese army, confirmed the incident hours after Indian media reported that the soldier had been apprehended on the Indian side of the line. The report said the soldier had been disoriented by the “dark and complicated geography” and crossed the frontier at midnight on Friday.
“The Chinese border troops immediately notified the Indian side and sought help with search and rescue. Two hours later, the Indian side gave a clear response confirming they had found the lost soldier, and were waiting for instructions for the soldier to be returned to China,” the article said.
“The Indian side should closely follow the established mechanism for dealing with this kind of matter, return the lost soldier to China in a speedy manner, and bring positivity and de-escalate current Sino-Indian border tensions.”
The article claimed some Indian media reports about the incident had been incorrect, but did not provide any details.