'Indian posts not dismantled by Chinese'

GANGTOK: A day after reports that Chinese forces had dismantled some unmanned Indian forward posts on Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet border, defense minister A K Antony on Saturday claimed the incident did not take place on Indian soil. "I don't want to go into details. As far as Indian territories are concerned nothing has happened," Antony told reporters during the course of his two-day visit to forward areas in Sikkim. There were differences over India-China border but the situation was "by and large" peaceful, he said. "China has its own perception, we have our own," he said. 

Antony said New Delhi and Beijing were trying to settle the border dispute through various mechanisms. "But that does not mean that there is no problem. There have been some minor isolated incidents along the border which we have been trying to settle through diplomatic channels and flag meetings," he said. Reports quoting military officials said around November 8 Indian posts were demolished by the Chinese army. Army sources said the demolished structures were fibreglass huts, while intelligence agencies claimed these dismantled bunkers were near the two other bunkers which the Chinese had objected to earlier.