Iron rods in PLA bags even in eastern sector

NEW DELHI: People’s Liberation Army troops in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have also been recently observed carrying iron rods in their backpacks, reaffirming the Indian defence establishment’s belief that

Chinese soldiers

flout protocols on a regular basis but take shelter behind them if they get hurt.


Sources said iron rods were seen in the backpacks of PLA troops when they came face-to-face with Indian soldiers along the LAC in the Kameng sector of Arunachal Pradesh earlier this week. “PLA soldiers come prepared, and routinely break the protocol that there will be no use of force during face-offs. But when they get hurt in the ensuing scuffles, they wrongly accuse Indian soldiers of breaking the protocol,” said a source.

India remains incensed with the “pre-meditated” attack by the numerically-superior PLA troops, armed with nail-studded rods and stones, on

Colonel Santosh Babu

and his around 40-member team near “Patrolling Point-14” in the

Galwan region

of eastern Ladakh on June 15. Though the Indian soldiers succeeded in dismantling the PLA observation post set up at the vertex of the bend in the

Galwan River

, which was against the then de-escalation plan agreed by the rival commanders, they were brutally attacked by PLA soldiers.

The ensuing skirmish led to Col Babu and 19 Indian soldiers being killed, while the PLA also suffered an unspecified number of fatal casualties, including the commanding officer and another officer. “PLA soldiers were similarly armed with iron rods and stones during the face-off on the north bank of Pangong Tso on May 5-6. If the PLA is indeed serious about following the protocol, it should pinpoint responsibility and take strict action against its commanders who allow such objectionable tactics,” said the source.