According to a security assessment document prepared by the Indian police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, new clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their disputed border could occur, Reuters reported, citing Agerpres.

Indian soldiersPhoto: Mubashir Hassan-Pacific Press / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

At least 24 soldiers were killed in clashes between the two Asian giants in Ladakh, west of the Himalayas, in 2020, but tensions eased after military and diplomatic talks.

In December last year, new clashes broke out between the two sides in the eastern Himalayas, but there were no casualties.

The assessment is part of a new confidential Ladakh police research paper presented at a conference of senior police officials held on January 20-22 and reviewed by Reuters.

According to the report, the assessment was based on information gathered by local police in the border areas and a “pattern” of military tensions between India and China over the years.

The Indian military did not respond to a request for comment, but the assessment is significant because it was presented at a conference attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s defense and external affairs ministries did not respond to requests for comment. China’s foreign ministry also did not respond to a request for comment.

India fears that it is losing ground to China in the Himalayas

“Given internal constraints (…) in China and economic interests in the region, the PLA will continue to build up its military infrastructure, and there will also be frequent confrontations that may or may not follow a pattern,” the newspaper said. referring to the People’s Liberation Army of China.

“If we analyze the picture of confrontations and tensions, since 2013-2014, the intensity has increased with an interval of every 2-3 years,” the document says.

“Thanks to the huge infrastructure built by the PLA on the Chinese side, both armies are testing each other’s reaction, artillery power and infantry mobilization time,” he notes.

The report also stated that India is slowly losing ground to China in Ladakh, while the border has been pushed into Indian territory by creating buffer zones.

India and China share a 3,500 km border that has been disputed since the 1950s. Both sides went to war over this in 1962.