Indians Drive Back Four Chinese Attacks

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29983, 19 November 1962, Page 11

Indians Drive Back Four Chinese Attacks

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) NEW DELHI, November 17. Indian troops today drove back four Chinese attacks in the western part of the north-east frontier area, but were forced to yield ground to superior numbers further east, the Defence Ministry announced. Walong, a small, strategic village near the Burma border, was still in Indian hands, however, in spite of two days of fierce fighting with heavy casualties on both sides, the spokesman said.

The attacks were repulsed near the monastery town of Tawang, where the Chinese are preparing to launch another offensive, Reuter’s correspondent reported from Tezpur, the Indian operational headquarters in the area.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said Indian troops had had to give up the forward slopes of a Chinese hill position near Walong, which they had regained two days ago. In the Jang area, near Tawang, ait the western end of the north-east frontier, “Chinese aggressors in some strength attacked one of our forward positions early this morning.

“Their attack was repulsed but the enemy put in three

more attacks within two or three hours. These attacks were also successfully repulsed,” he said. Fighting had stopped there as far as he knew. The New China News Agency claimed that in the western sector of the northeast frontier, the Indian troops launched their heaviest attack under cover of fierce artillery fire at 3 p.m. yesterday. It said the attack was made between Tawang, held by the Chinese, and the main Indian defensive position at the Se La Pass. The news agency said tihe Chinese troops were compelled to strike back in self-defence. The two battle zones are about 250 miles apart and both are about 16 miles south of the McMahon line, which India claims as the border with Tibet.

The Indian troops hold high ground at the 14,OOOfthigh Se La Pass, which protects the north-east frontier’s

only good lorry road into the Assam Valley. To the east, the Chinese were attempting to fight their way from the 9000 ft high mounta ins into the Loh it river valley, which leads to East Assam and the Digboi oil fields. 80 miles away. Reports from Tezpur said the Chinese had two divisions in the Walong area. Their strength near the Se La Pass, where they were reported building a road from Tibet to Tawang, was believed to be about the same. Yesterday, the Chinese Foreign Office announced Chinese troops had captured 927 Indian officers and enlisted men during the border fighting. The Ministry said the Chinese frontier guards in the Tibet and Sinkiang regions “respected the religious beliefs and habits of the captured Indian officers and men and have made proper arrangements for their living.”