Indian Army hands over Chinese soldier apprehended in eastern Ladakh

The Indian Army on Wednesday handed over a Chinese soldier who was apprehended in eastern Ladakh to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Chinese Defence Ministry said.

The Chinese soldier was apprehended by the Indian Army in the Demchok sector of eastern Ladakh on Monday after he had "strayed" across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an incident that comes amid a massive deployment of troops by the two militaries in the region following the border standoff since May.

"According to the relevant agreement between China and India, the Chinese PLA soldier, who went missing while helping local herdsmen find the lost yak near the China-India border on Sunday, has been returned to the Chinese border troops by the Indian Army early on the morning of October 21, 2020 a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Defence said here.

The Indian Army said in a statement on Monday that the soldier, a Corporal in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), has been identified as Wang Ya Long and he will be returned to the Chinese military at the Chushul-Moldo border point after completion of formalities.

"China hopes that India will hand over soon the Chinese soldier who got lost in China-India border areas on the evening of October 18 when helping local herdsmen retrieve a yak at their request," said Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesperson for the Western Theatre Command of the PLA said in a statement on Monday night.