Chinese spy ship Yang Wang 5 leaves Indian Ocean Region amid Arunachal faceoff
A Chinese surveillance vessel ‘Yuan Wang 5’ which entered the Indian Ocean Region last week, has now moved out of the area. According to Navy sources, the vessel was being constantly monitored by Indian Navy assets, including long range surveillance drones and maritime patrol aircraft.
The Chinese spy ship, known to be fitted with several tracking and surveillance devices, entered the Indian Ocean Region, ahead of a plan by India for a likely test firing a long-range ballistic missile in the Bay of Bengal.
The Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship is a third-generation vessel of Yuan Wang series that entered service in 2007.
The moving back of the vessel came a day after reports of a clash between Indian and Chinese army troops in Arunachal’s Tawang region on December 9 came to light.
Soldiers of the Indian Army and China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9 and the skirmish resulted in “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides.
“On December 9, PLA troops contacted the LAC in Tawang Sector which was contested by own (Indian) troops in a firm and resolute manner. This face-off led to minor injuries to few personnel from both sides,” the Army said in a statement.
“Both sides immediately disengaged from the area. As a follow up of the incident, own (Indian) commander in the area held a flag meeting with his counterpart to discuss the issue in accordance with structured mechanisms to restore peace and tranquillity,” it said.
Responding to the incident, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Indian Army bravely thwarted an attempt by the Chinese PLA from “unilaterally” changing the status quo in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector.
“The ensuing face off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts,” Singh said in Parliament earlier today.
