New Delhi: A Chinese military aircraft entered Indian airspace over Sikkim on the 12th of this month, in the latest airspace violation along the India-China border. The aircraft was flying at an altitude of about 25,000 feet at around 8 am and remained over Indian territory for 20 to 25 minutes. Indian Air Force (IAF) radars tracked its movement and issued repeated warnings asking it to leave.
The incursion took place opposite the Siliguri Corridor, a strategically vital stretch of land in West Bengal that connects the northeastern states with the rest of the country. Only about 20 to 22 km wide, the corridor is widely known as the “Chicken’s Neck”. It lies close to China, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and near the Doklam plateau, which makes any activity in the area highly sensitive for security agencies.
The latest violation follows a similar incident earlier this month. On the 7th, four Chinese helicopters entered Indian airspace in Ladakh.
Such incidents have occurred before. In June 2022, a Chinese aircraft flew close to Indian base camps in eastern Ladakh. During the 2020 Galwan clashes, Chinese helicopters were seen along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and the IAF deployed its fighter jets in response. In 2017, Chinese helicopters also entered the Barahoti area of Uttarakhand.
Following the repeated violations, the Army and the IAF have stepped up surveillance along the border and placed their units on high alert.