Intelligence agencies are investigating reports gathered from multiple sources on whether Chinese aircraft carried out reconnaissance mission in middle sectors of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh two
Intelligence agencies are investigating reports gathered from multiple sources on whether Chinese aircraft carried out reconnaissance mission in middle sectors of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh two to three months ago. Sources said intelligence agencies had received some reports an aircraft of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar, which is normally used for capturing broad area imaging at high resolutions, had conducted reconnaissance in these middle sector areas.
The middle sector areas are disputed territory between the two countries on which discussions are currently going on between India and China. Both countries have also agreed to maintain the middles sectors as “demilitarised zones” so no armed patrolling is to be conducted in these areas by troops of either countries.
“We have received information from some intelligence sources about these reconnaissance and the matter is currently being investigated. But it is a known fact that Chinese PLA troops do often violate the agreed norms in the middle sector,’’ a senior intelligence official said without elaborating on the details. It is believed the information about PLA aircraft sorties was provided to Indian agencies by a foreign counterpart during a recent meeting.
Sources said the initial information is that the PLA aircraft carried out three sorties in the middle sectors about three months ago. Both home ministry and ITBP is already conducting detailed investigations into a recent incident of transgression by PLA troops in Barahoti area of Chamoli district. During the Barahoti incident also, a Chinese helicopter had carried out a sortie for about five minutes before returning back.
The ITBP personnel do patrolling in middle sectors only in civil dress and primarily assist the local villagers who take their livestock for grazing these areas. Apart from Barahoti in Uttarkahnad, two sectors in Himachal Pradesh, Kauril and Shipki, have been identified as the middle sector.
