Chinese military aircraft hovered over Sikkim for 20 minutes despite Indian warnings, report says

A Chinese military aircraft entered Indian airspace over the north-eastern state of Sikkim on the morning of 12 November and stayed for 20 to 25 minutes despite repeated warnings from the Indian Air Force, the news magazine Outlook reported on Saturday, citing a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. The air force had not commented on the account when the report appeared.

According to the source, the air force detected the aircraft at about 8 am local time, flying at roughly 25,000 feet, and radioed it several times to turn back to its own side. The aircraft kept circling over the area regardless. Outlook said the type of aircraft, its exact route and the time it finally left Indian airspace were not yet known.

The location adds to the weight of the claim. The airspace in question overlooks the Siliguri Corridor, a strip of West Bengal only about 20 to 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest that links India's north-eastern states with the rest of the country. Often called the Chicken's Neck, it sits close to the borders of China, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, which is why unusual military activity above it draws quick attention from Indian planners.

Outlook said the episode followed a reported crossing into Ladakh on 7 November by four Chinese helicopters, one of which hovered for about 30 minutes. It also recalled earlier cases: Chinese army helicopters over Chamoli district in Uttarakhand for about five minutes in June 2017, three months before the Doklam standoff; two helicopters in the Barahoti sector in October 2017; and a Chinese military aircraft that flew close to Indian positions in eastern Ladakh in June 2022, which India raised with China through military channels.

The report quickly became a political issue in New Delhi. Times Now reported that the opposition Congress party, citing the article, said on social media that the aircraft had ignored the air force's warnings and called the news extremely worrying. The party urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to lodge a strong protest with Beijing and said it hoped he would not let China off the hook this time.

The row came a day after Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the situation along his state's border with China was normal and well guarded, while acknowledging that Chinese transgressions do happen because the boundary has never been demarcated, Times Now said. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh accused leaders of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party of explaining away Chinese actions instead of asserting India's position.

The claim comes as both sides strengthen their air power along the Himalayan frontier. China's J-20 stealth fighters have been appearing closer to India: six were spotted at Shigatse, opposite Sikkim, in May 2024 and at least 14 by March 2026, and satellite images from June and July showed seven at Hotan and four at Damxung, the New Indian Express reported on Friday. India has no stealth fighter in service.

On the Indian side, the air force announced on 7 November that it had landed an Il-76MD transport at Nyoma in eastern Ladakh, an airfield 13,629 feet above sea level and about 30 kilometres from the Line of Actual Control, and called it the highest aircraft landing ever made. The base lets troops and supplies be flown almost to the front line instead of being trucked over high passes from Leh.

Outlook said it had asked the air force for comment and was awaiting a reply.