Indian officials refuted claims of China using 'microwave weapons' at the border on Indian soldiers, after the same was reported by British daily newspaper The Times on Tuesday.
Commenting on the report, the official Twitter account of Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army tweeted, "Media articles on employment of microwave weapons in Eastern Ladakh are baseless. The news is FAKE."
A day earlier, The Times wrote the article claiming that Chinese troops had 'used microwave weapons to force Indian troops to retreat during a months-long border stand-off in the Himalayas'.
The Times attributed this claim to Jin Canrong, a professor and associate dean of the School of International Studies at Renmin University at Beijing. According to Jin, the use of microwave technology was to comply with the rules of engagement between India and China which bars the use of live ammunitions.
Also Read: New Tensions Along LAC As India-China Accuse Each Other Of Gunfire
The article quoted Jin as saying, "In 15 minutes, those occupying the hilltops all began to vomit. They couldn't stand up, so they fled. This was how we retook the ground." This was also reported by The Daily Mail and The Australian.
An Indian official refuted this claim and told The Washington Examiner, "It's pure and poor psyops from China." "If they got us out of the heights, why is China still asking India to withdraw from these heights?" the source added. "Our soldiers and tanks/equipment still there, and we have not moved down from heights."
This comment is in reference to statement made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in early September, which said, "We urge India to strictly discipline its border troops, stop all provocations at once, immediately withdraw all personnel who illegally trespassed across [the unofficial boundary of the disputed area], and stop taking any actions that may escalate tensions or complicate matters."
India and China have been locked in tussle over border disputes at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh since April this year, which culminated in the death of 20 Indian troops and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers on June 15.
Also Read: 20 Indian Soldiers Killed In India-China Clash In Galwan Valley
What Are 'Microwave Weapons'?
Microwave weapons are a direct-energy ranged weapons that can be used on highly focused targets using beams of energy. Microwave weapons are generally considered to be non-lethal, while its side-effects are currently less known.
The Active Denial System (ADS) is one such weapon which uses energy beams to heat up water and fat molecules under the skin of a person from a considerable distance. The weapon, while being non-lethal, is said to cause incapacitating pain to its live target. While the United States is at the forefront of developing this technology, China and Russia are rumoured to have made their own ADS weapons.
Bofors HPM Blackout is another high-powered microwave weapon which can be used to destroy electronic equipments and is said to be non-lethal to humans.