The Indian Army has launched a search and rescue operation after seven of its soldiers were struck by an avalanche at a high-altitude area near the disputed boundary between India and China in Arunachal Pradesh.
The avalanche struck the Indian Army soldiers when they were out for patrolling along the disputed India-China boundary in Kameng Sector of Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.
A source in New Delhi said that search and rescue operations were underway and specialised teams had been airlifted to assist in rescue operations.
The area has been witnessing inclement weather with heavy snowfall over the past few days.
The continued snowfall also made the search and rescue operations difficult, another source said.
The Indian Army stepped up vigil along the disputed India-China boundary in Arunachal Pradesh over the past few months and continued intense patrolling even during the winter season – apparently anticipating that the tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – the de facto boundary between the two nations in the western sector – could extend to the middle and the eastern sectors too.
The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are currently engaged in a stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The stand-off started in April-May 2020, although prolonged negotiations led to mutual withdrawal of front-line troops by the two sides from both banks of Pangong Tso and Gogra Post last year, they could not resolve it at other locations along the LAC.
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