Five youngsters from Arunachal Pradesh, who had gone missing on September 2 but were later found to be in Chinese territory, were handed over to India by the People's Liberation Army amid the ongoing stand-off between the two sides at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
The?PLA had conveyed that the five youths, who went missing on September 4 from the Sino-Indian?border in Upper Subansiri district, were found by them across the border.
"The?Chinese?PLA?has?confirmed?to?the?Indian?Army?to?hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh?to?our side. The handing over is likely?to?take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location," Rijiju tweeted on Friday.
It was Rijiju who first broke the news about the?PLA's confirmation that the youths were found on the?Chinese?side of the Sino-Indian?border.
Rijiju, the Union sports minister, hails from Arunachal Pradesh.
The incident came?to?light when two members from the group of youths, who went hunting in the jungle, returned home and informed the families of the five that they were whisked away by the?Chinese?troops from Sera-7, an?Army?patrol zone located about 12 km further north of Nacho.
Nacho is the last administrative circle along the McMahon line and is around 120 km from the district headquarters Daporijo.
Those who were allegedly kidnapped by the?Chinese?Army?were identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri.
On Monday, China brushed off concerns over the whereabouts of the five youths and needled India, saying it?has?never recognised Arunachal Pradesh which it claims is part of south Tibet.
"China's position on the east sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan (the southern part of China's Xizang (Tibet) ), is consistent and clear,"?Chinese?foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing, adding the?Chinese?government?has?never recognized the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh".
"I'm not aware of the situation you mentioned," the spokesperson said when asked about any updates about the missing?Indian?nationals.
The development comes at a time when the?Indian?Army?has?enhanced its deployment along the 3,400 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in view of the tense border row between India and China in eastern Ladakh.
In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the?PLA?from Asapila sector near the McMahon line.
While his two friends managed?to?escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said.
After 19 days in captivity, the youth was released by the?Chinese?Army.?
On September 2, the?Indian?Army?provided food, warm clothes and medical assistance?to?three?Chinese?citizens who had lost their way in sub-zero temperatures at an altitude of 17,500 feet in a border area in North Sikkim.
The?Indian?Army?personnel deployed in the area also guided the?Chinese?citizens, including a woman,?to?return?to?the?Chinese?side and reach their destination.