The Independence Day morning confrontation between soldiers of the Indian Army and Chinese People's Liberation Army near the Pangong Lake in Ladakh "appears to be [a] deliberate attempt to provoke and heighten tension without use of lethal weapons," an early assessment by the Directorate of Military Intelligence reads.
The intelligence assessment note, accessed by India Today, further says that the Ladakh skirmish could be linked to the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Doklam near the Sikkim border, and that the Pangong Lake incident stands out because of the "unusual" use of force that "appears to be part of [a] considered design."
The five-point intelligence assessment was made after Indian and Chinese troops confronted each other on the northern bank of Ladakh's Pangong Lake, which is claimed in parts by both India (around one-third of the total area) and China (two-thirds), and through which the Line of Actual Control passes.
According to Indian sources, the brief skirmish was sparked after a Chinese patrol lost its way due to bad weather conditions and came across Indian soldiers on the Pangong Lake's northern bank near areas known as Finger Four and Finger Five.
The situation descended into an ill-tempered skirmish that saw stone-pelting, resulting in injuries on both sides. The confrontation lasted around 30 minutes and was resolved after Indian and Chinese sides carried out banner drills and retreated to their respective positions.
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