By AURORA BOSOTTI
World War 3 fears have reignited as China and India reignited their bitter skirmish over the control of their shared border in the Ladakh region. Following the death of 20 Indian soldiers in bloody hand-to-hand combat, Dehli threatened Beijing with a "befitting" reprisal. But hours after the threat was issued, China showcased all its military might by airing live-fire military drills from the Tibetan plateau in an apparent show of strength.
Over 7,000 members of the Chinese infantry could be seen undergoing intense military exercises with some of China's most powerful weapons - including the Type 15 light tank and HJ-10 anti-tank missile.
The footage showed the artillery and tanks blowing up the desert landscape as the soldiers simulated an assault of the fortified positions peppering the 600-mile border with India.
Beijing also confirmed losses, claiming 43 people had died since the resumption of clashes with India earlier this month.
China and India have been engaged in a dispute over their shared border in the region of Ladakh since 1947, with the two nuclear-armed countries repeatedly coming close to full-out conflict over the years.
World War 3 fears reignited because of the tension between China and India (Image: CCTV MILITARY)
China has showcased its military might in a broadcast of live-fire drills (Image: CCTV MILITARY)
The two countries have not been exchanging live shots due to an agreement keeping army personnel on both sides from carrying weapons within 2km from the border.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a clear message to Beijing, insisting the "sacrifice of the soldiers will not go in vain".
He said: “India wants peace but if antagonised it can and will give a befitting reply whatever the situation is.”
The exact location of the military drills remains unclear but according to reports from CCTV the live-fire exercise took place in the Tibetan Military Region tasked with monitoring threats from countries around Tibet.
China and India have been embroiled in a dispute over Ladakh since 1947 (Image: CCTV MILITARY)
India: Protesters call for country to ‘boycott China’
China aired footage of the drills on state TV, with soldiers pictured sending out scouting drones, shooting cannons, firing at enemy warplanes as well as forming attacking patterns with tanks and military trucks.
Despite the threats being exchanged, India and China have been engaged in de-escalation talks since the start of the skirmishes two weeks ago.
While India maintained that China had tried to "unilaterally change the status quo" of the border agreement there, Beijing accused Indian troops of "attacking Chinese personnel".
China and India both have over a hundred nuclear weapons at their disposal (Image: EXPRESS.CO.UK)
And as activists and politicians across India call on the public to boycott Chinese products, the number of cyber attacks of Indian targets has spiked over the past few days.
A large number of the attacks were traced back to the city Chengdu, in central China.
Chengdu, the capital of the province of Sichuan, is known to be the main headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army 61398 Unit, the Chinese military’s primary covert cyber warfare section.
The city is also home to a large number of hacker groups, many of whom are hired by Chinese government agencies to provide a cover for their operations.
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