HONG KONG: Chinese and Soviet troops clashed in the north-western part of their 4,500-mile long frontier last night [June 10], the Chinese Foreign Ministry disclosed today. The Ministry, in a strong protest Note delivered to the Soviet Embassy in Peking, said the clash took place in the western part of Barluk mountains in China’s Sinkiang province.

It accused the Soviet troops of opening fire first and said “driven beyond the limits of forbearance, the Chinese frontier guards were compelled to fight back in self-defence”. One Chinese herdswoman was killed by the Soviet fire, said the protest Note, the text of which was released by the New China News Agency.

Meanwhile, in a Note published in Moscow the Soviet Union accused China of having “organised a gross provocation on June 10”, on the Sino-Soviet frontier. The Soviet Note was in reply to the Chinese protest. — Agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Istanbul,] Troops today [June 11] took over control of Istanbul University from Police ... Accord­­­ing to Press reports here, more than 100 people were injured in the fighting in which students hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at the Police. They were protesting against Police occupation of the University, a move taken because of previous disturbances.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2019