Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday changed his mind hours after he said there was an incursion by Chinese troops into Chamoli district of the state. He said the incident took place on July 19 and the Chinese troops had nearly an hour-long face-off with Indian soldiers, reported NDTV. However, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju later confirmed that it was not a big intrusion, but a 'small incident at the border'.

Rawat clarified, "The state revenue authorities were there for mapping of our land and they noticed their presence. Earlier, there were sporadic incidents, but this time it is happening at a larger scale. However, I think that there is nothing to be alarmed as the activities were noticed in Chinese territory."

Uttarakhand shares a 350-km boundary with China. According to NDTV, the place where the incursion took place is a grazing ground of about 80 sqkm claimed by both India and China. However, this is not the first time that Chinese troops have entered Indian territory. Chinese troops have reportedly crossed over and scribbled 'China' on rocks in Chamoli in the past. This area has also seen aerial transgressions and infiltration by foot patrols in 2013 and 2014. About 250 soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army had entered Arunachal Pradesh in June this year.