A skirmish is a violent interaction between small groups of soldiers, especially advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies. A skirmish can be the result of a deliberate act or simply the result of a natural escalation during combat. The term has also been used to describe clashes between civilians and military personnel or police officers.
Several countries are engaged in border skirmishes. Tensions are highest in Asia, where China and India have a long-running territorial dispute over the Himalayan region of Kashmir. Portions of the territory have been controlled at different times by Britain, Russia, and now India and China. Deadly skirmishes in the region could have significant national security implications for the United States.
India and China have fought a bloody Himalayan war in the past, and skirmishes have flared up sporadically in the decades since. In 2021, the two governments reached a tentative agreement for peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between them. But tensions seem to be flaring again.
Video has emerged online of a brawl between Indian and Chinese troops near the LAC in the remote Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh. Though CNN cannot independently verify the footage, it appears to show Indian troops beating up Chinese forces with makeshift weapons. The incident was not reported in the media prior to Tuesday, when it began to circulate online. This could suggest pressure from the government to discuss it publicly, or it may be a sign that the Chinese side is attempting to alter the status quo in the region, which has been stable for over a decade.