Around 200 troops of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) entered into Indian territory last week leading to troops of India and China engaging in a face-off along the Line of Actual Control in the Arunachal Pradesh sector as the patrols of two countries came to face to face at one location, according to news agency IANS.

The Indian troops intercepted around 200 PLA soldiers, who had crossed over into the Indian side from Tibet and attempted to damage unoccupied bunkers.

Sources in the defence establishment said the face-off took place between the two sides last week and the troops disengaged after the talks between the two local commanders as per existing protocols, according to an ANI report.

The face-off lasted for a few hours before the troops disengaged and Indian troops outnumbered the Chinese at the location, sources said.

There was no damage to the Indian defences in the face-off that took place between the two sides at the location, they said.

Since the India-China border has not been formally demarcated and hence there is a difference in perception of LAC between the countries. “Peace and tranquillity in these areas of differing perceptions have been possible by adherence to existing agreements and protocols between the two countries,” they said.

Sources said both sides undertake patrolling activities up to their line of perception.

Whenever patrols of both sides physically meet, the situation is managed according to established protocols and mechanisms agreed by both sides.

Physical engagement can last for a few hours prior to disengaging as per mutual understanding, they said.

Earlier in August, India, and China had disengaged troops from the Gogra heights area and moved them back to their permanent bases.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese armies have escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 last year. Twenty Indian Army personnel laid down their lives in the clashes that marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades.

In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.

Each side currently has around 50,000-60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.

In the 12th round of military talks, India and China had agreed to disengage troops from patrolling point 17A, one of the friction points between the two countries in the eastern Ladakh region.

(With inputs from agencies)