Recently, ITBP chief Shatrujeet Kapur admitted in late October that face-offs with Chinese troops are ‘still ongoing’ at several locations, notably Asaphila near Taksing, where the PLA pitched tents 6–7 km inside India’s LAC perception. Congress accused PM Modi of silence; CM Pema Khandu cited differing LAC readings, while New Delhi rejects Beijing’s ‘South Tibet’ claim.
In the above context, a video has gone viral on social media in which army troops are seen getting involved in physical altercations in an area with a snow-covered mountain and a lake. Later, in the same video, we can see some army personnel climbing on the mountain, and in another video, we can see some army officials standing near a human body.
The video is shared with a caption suggesting that it is of the recent clash between Indian and Chinese frontier troops in Arunachal Pradesh.
A social media user shared the video with a caption that reads, “Another day, another embarrassment for India. Rare video of Indian army running to save them. On the frozen heights, the Chinese Army delivers a lesson: Chinese forces continue to overpower Indian troops with discipline, precision & unmatched strength.”
SouthCheck found that the claim is false. The viral video shows a clash between Indian and Chinese frontier troops near Pangong Tso Lake along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), dating back to May 2020.
On a Google Reverse Image Search, we found that the screenshot of the same video was shared by a Chinese website, Sohu, on September 21, 2023.
The report associated with the image suggests that it shows a physical clash between Chinese and Indian border troops, with PLA soldiers attacking from two directions and inflicting heavy losses on Indian troops. Although the video is only 19 seconds long, its appearance still carries special significance given the current situation on the Sino-Indian border.
We further found that the screenshot of the video was also shared by another website, China-arms, on October 10, 2021. The image is shared with a caption that reads, “China military source refutes Indian reports of ‘crossing LAC’”
Another video, where army personnels are seen standing in front of dead body, the screenshot of the video was shared by a Reddit account, 4 years ago, with a caption that reads, “Indian Army Troops Unconscious/Dead (unsure) | During Pangong clash. Poor soul goes unnamed, while Capt Soiba Awarded for Pushing a Chini 1 inch back.”
While we could not confirm the exact source of the incident, we can ascertain that the viral video is old and unrelated to the recent fights in Arunachal Pradesh.