Taiwan said Tuesday that soldiers on one of its tiny frontline islands just off China’s mainland were on heightened alert following provocations by Chinese civilian drones.
In addition to military pressure from Chinese warplanes and vessels that maintain a near-daily presence around the island, Taiwan has faced intrusions from civilians and unidentified drones that surveil and harass its troops.
Taiwan’s military said in a statement that soldiers stationed on Erdan island had been required to “increase their vigilance in surveillance” in response to “Chinese netizens frequently using drones to provoke”.
Erdan, which lies just five kilometers (three miles) from the Chinese coast, is part of Taiwan’s frontline Kinmen Island chain.
The Kinmen Defense Command also said in a statement that it will enhance the training of soldiers on the handling of drones, including taking “appropriate countermeasures depending on the level of threat”.
The statement came after local media reported on a video posted to YouTube last week allegedly showing drone footage of soldiers and some military facilities on Erdan.
The video was accompanied by a caption reading “Taiwanese soldiers on Erdan island are scared away by a Chinese drone.”
In 2022, Taiwanese soldiers on Kinmen shot down an unidentified civilian drone amid heightened tensions with China following a visit to Taipei by then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.
(AFP)
Tags: Taiwan frontline island alert Chinese civilian drone provocations
