Amid reports of clashes between troops of China and India in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang, defence minister Rajnath Singh told the Parliament on Tuesday that no serious injuries have been reported from the clashes.
Singh made statements in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. He said, "I wish to share with this House that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side."
He said Indian soldiers "compelled" the troops from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to return to their posts after the scuffle.
Here's what we know about the incident:
When and where did this happen?
According to the statement released by Singh, the skirmish took place on December 9. The incident took place in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector in Arunachal Pradesh.
This was along the India-China border, the Line of Actual Control.
The incident comes almost two years after the face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh.
What exactly happened this time?
According to the statement made by Singh, on Friday December 9, Chinese troops entered Indian territory and wanted to "unilaterally change the status quo".
Members of both troops got into a scuffle, and the minister said that India troops contested the intruders "in a firm and resolute manner".
Singh said, "The scuffle led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides. I wish to share with this House that there are no fatalities or serious casualties on our side."
The PLA soldiers reportedly went back to their locations and the local commander in the area also held a flag march on December 11 with the Chinese counterpart.
India asked China to refrain from entering Indian territory and maintain peace in the area.
"I would like to assure this House, that our Forces are committed to protecting our territorial integrity and will continue to thwart any attempt made on it. I am confident that this entire House will stand united in supporting our soldiers in their brave effort," Singh said.
What has China said?
Reuters quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin as saying that the border situation between India and China had been stable.
Wenbin also said that there had been dialogue between the two countries through military and diplomatic channels.
AFP reported that Wenbin told reporters that "as far as we understand, the China-India border situation is stable overall."
