KATHMANDU: A joint Nepal–China security patrol was conducted on Friday in the northern Korala border area, which adjoins China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
Despite sub-zero temperatures during the winter season, joint security personnel deployed along the Nepal–China border have begun regular patrols to strengthen monitoring in the Korala area.
According to Armed Police Force (APF) Deputy Superintendent of Police Bhesraj Giri, chief of APF 33rd Battalion Headquarters, Jomsom, the joint patrol covered border pillars numbered 21, 22, 23 and 24 on the Dolpa side of the Korala border area.
He said the joint patrol has been initiated to prevent possible crimes during winter, curb illegal smuggling and poaching, maintain peace and security, and control unwanted activities in the border region. The patrols will continue regularly throughout the winter season.
APF Inspector Arun Bhandari, in-charge of the Border Out Post (BOP) Nechung, said the joint patrol was carried out by a combined team from the Korala-based APF BOP and Chinese security personnel. The team conducted security patrols around four Nepal–China border pillars in the Korala area.
According to BOP Nechung, a 15-member joint security team was deployed for the patrol—10 personnel from the Nepal side under the command of Inspector Bhandari and five from the Chinese side led by Captain Gesang Dundrub.
The APF said there is a plan to conduct regular joint patrols at all Nepal–China border pillars throughout the winter season. Security agencies have stepped up patrols as the Korala border point and surrounding areas often remain uninhabited during winter, increasing the risk of illegal activities taking advantage of reduced presence.
Joint Nepal–China security personnel have been conducting regular patrols across border pillars connecting Mustang and China. Border pillars numbered 18 to 23 on the Dolpa side and 25 to 33 on the Manang side fall along the Nepal–China frontier in this region. Border pillar number 24 is designated as a transit point and falls within the buffer zone.
Earlier on Sunday, security personnel from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) Lomanthang Area Conservation Office, along with APF BOP and Chhoser Police Post, had also conducted a joint patrol across border pillars numbered 25 to 28 amid heavy snowfall.
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