2012 Photo Of Indian Army Banner In Ladakh Peddled As Threat By China

An old image of an Indian Army banner with the words 'Fight To Win', in Ladakh's Pangong Lake has resurfaced with claims that it was installed by China after the India-China standoff in the Galwan valley on June 15-16. 

There was a major escalation of border tensions between the Indian and Chinese troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley region of eastern Ladakh on the night of June 15. According to reports, troops clashed on the steep terrain of the Galwan valley, with some soldiers falling into the Galwan river. They later succumbed to sub-zero temperatures. Lives of 20 Indian soldiers were lost in one of the worst skirmishes between India and China in the region. The number of casualties on the Chinese side is not known yet.

The photograph is doing the rounds with the caption, "#China installed this banner in Ladakh , Clear message to Modi." 

The photograph is also on Facebook with the same narrative. 

Fact Check 

BOOM ran a reverse image search on the photograph and found the same image, which was published in an article by CNN, titled, "Twenty Indian soldiers dead after clash with China along disputed border" on June 17, this year. The image is captioned as, "An Indian military banner post is seen next to a road in Ladakh in 2012. The region shares a border with both China and Pakistan," and carries the watermark of photojournalist, Daniel Berehulak.

The photograph can be found in the archives of Getty images with the title, "India's Mountain Kingdom Of Ladakh." It was clicked on October 5, 2012. 

The description of the image reads, "An Indian Military banner post is seen on the road to Pangong Lake on October 5, 2012 near to Leh, Ladakh, India. Ladakh, nestled between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, was once an ancient Buddhist Kingdom and for over half a century now, a strategic military outpost for India. Ladakh, sharing borders with both China and Pakistan, has seen an increase in tourism over the last few years, an alternative to Nepali Himalayan treks." 

BOOM reached out to an Indian Army officer who served in the area, who confirmed that it is common to place such banners. According to the officer, who did not wish to be named,  the logo on the left of the banner, which shows three snow-capped peaks and a trident is the formation sign of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Indian Army.  

The 209 number on the right is the unit formation number, which is specific to each unit.