July 26, 2003	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 25, 1424

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BEIJING, July 25: China said on Friday Indian reports that a Chinese military patrol had crossed their disputed frontier were wrong and that, in fact, Indian troops had crossed onto the Chinese side.

“After investigation, the reality is that Indians crossed the eastern part of the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control (LAC),” the foreign ministry said in a statement. It said the Indians later retreated after a Chinese request.

On Thursday, India’s foreign ministry said a Chinese patrol had crossed the LAC on June 26 and asked China for an explanation.

The Hindustan Times said a 21-member Chinese patrol stopped a team of Indian intelligence officers about 14 km inside the Indian side of the border.—Reuters