copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2012-04-22): In the days that followed, the Indian Army built up a large force to defend the 80 kilometre-long Saltoro Range ridgeline. Since then, the Saltoro Range has been the focal point of operations — the Pakistanis seeking to gain a foothold on the ridge line, the Indians denying it. In early April 1987, another attempt was made by the Pakistan Army to gain a foothold on the Saltoro ridgeline. A small force consisting of about a dozen SSG commandos, using ropes and ladders, went up a vertical cliff and occupied a position at over 21,000 ft that dominated the Indian positions at Bilafond La. They named it Quaid post. The Indian Army made several attempts to evict the commandos but each time they were repulsed with heavy casualties. On June 25, 1987, they succeeded in taking the post as the commandos had run out of ammunition and could not be resupplied as the base supporting them came under fire. With the only foothold on the ridgeline lost, the Pakistan Army launched a major attack in September 1987 to get to Bilafond La. The attack was repulsed. In March 1989, another attempt was made, this time in the Chumik glacier, three kilometres east of Giari (recently hit by an avalanche). At over 19,000 ft, the place chosen is the most difficult to scale in the Saltoro Range for either side.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-29): Siachen Glacier, piedmont glacier located in the Karakoram Range. It lies in the heavily glaciated Himalayan region known as the "Third Pole," because mountain glaciers in this region contain more fresh water than is found anywhere else on Earth except for the polar ice caps. The Siachen Glacier lies between the Saltoro Ridge, a subrange of the Karakorams, to the west and the main Karakoram Range to the east. It is 75 km (47 miles) long, which makes it the second longest nonpolar glacier in the world, after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan. It is believed to have been up to 165 km (103 miles) long in the past, on the basis of evidence of glaciation events that occurred some 145,000 years ago.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-09-18): Pakistan later occupied the Saltoro Ridge which separates Siachen from the Pakistan Controlled Kashmir. It is actually here where the war is fought. The north eastern wall of the glacier which forms a part of the Karakoram mountains, separates the Siachen from territory held by China where the Trans-Karakoram Tract which is controlled by China and claimed by India, becomes another source of conflict between these countries. [...] Pakistan also landed its troops on Chumik glacier, one of the glaciers on the Pakistan side of Saltoro, after fearing that India was planning another misadventure, but subsequently withdrew the troops after the ceasefire between the two in May 1989 when both sides decided not to occupy it again despite the talks failing to find any solution to the Siachen conflict which is divided by the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) between the two countries.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-06-29): The Siachen Glacier became a bone of contention following a vague demarcation of territories in the Karachi Agreement of July 1949 which did not exactly specify who had authority over the Siachen Glacier area. Indian interpretation was that Pakistan territory extended only to about the Saltoro Ridge, where the territorial line's route after the last demarcated Point NJ9842 was "thence north to the glaciers." Pakistan interpretation was that their territory continued northeast from Point NJ9842 to the Karakoram Pass. As a result, both nations claimed the barren heights and the Siachen Glacier. [...] The operation resulted in India gaining the 70 kilometers long Siachen Glacier and all of its tributary glaciers, as well as the three main passes on the Saltoro Ridge immediately west of the glacier; Sia La, Bilafond La, and Gyong La. Thus, giving India the tactical advantage of holding higher grounds. The AGPL runs roughly along the Saltoro Ridge which extends nearly 120 kilometers from Point NJ9842 to the Shaksgam Tract (a part of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir; which Pakistan had illegally ceded to China in 1963).
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2015-03-03): Indian troops take control of Siachen Glacier and the heights of Saltoro Ridge, preempting Pakistani movements by just one day. India wins 3,000 square kilometers of territory. Troops of both countries stand eyeball to eyeball to this day, making this the world's highest battlefield. The harsh conditions of the glacier, where temperatures fall as low as -50°C, are far more deadly than the fighting between Indian and Pakistani troops.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-08-14): The Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) divides current positions of Indian and Pakistani military posts and troops along the entire 110 kilometres (68 mi) long frontline in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier.[1][2][3][4] AGPL generally runs along the Saltoro Mountains range, beginning from the northernmost point of the (LOC) at Point NJ 9842 and ending in the north on the Indira Ridge at the India-China-Pakistan LAC tripoint near Sia Kangri about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Indira Col West, with peaks in excess of 7,000 m (23,000 ft) and temperatures ranging to around −55 °C (−67 °F).[5][6] India gained control of 1,000 square miles (2,600 km2) of disputed territory in 1984 because of its military operations in Siachen.[7][8] A cease-fire was announced in 2003.[9][10][11] [...] Indian Army posts are along the Saltoro Ridge, west of the main Siachen glacier, along a line roughly connecting Gyong La, Bilafond La, Sia La, and Indira Col. Pakistan controls the region west of Saltoro Ridge.[6] India has more than 50 military posts across the length of AGPL which are located almost 3,000 ft above Pakistani posts,[6] with 80 km line of sight visibility range in the clear weather. The Indian soldiers hold on to the heights on the ridge, preventing the Pakistani soldiers from climbing up to the Saltoro Range heights.[16]
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2023-12-04): There has been considerable talk in Pakistan about the recent avalanche in Gyari west of the Saltoro Ridge and it is shown as having occurred in the Siachen area. Pakistan is nowhere near the Siachen Glacier. Please everybody, let us get the facts right. The glacier is at least two-three days march away from Gyari and is attainable after first climbing the heights of Saltoro. It lies to the East of the Saltoro Ridge which is manned by Indian troops at those heights and is lower than the Saltoro. It is therefore not visible from the forward most posts on the Pakistani side. Saltoro overlooks, in a manner of speaking, the land to the west that is the Skardu Astore regions of Gilgit and Baltistan which we assert is ours. Siachen’s northern tip is close to Shaksgam, a slice of J&K territory ceded by Pakistan to China, while its southern tip is the source of water to the Nubra.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-12-26): - Saltoro Ridge: The Saltoro Mountains mountain range is a subrange of the Karakoram Heights or of Saltoro Ridge. They are located in the heart of the Karakoram, on the southwest side of the Siachen Glacier.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2019-08-23): Why was the LC not defined beyond this point? Perhaps, in 1972, there were no military engagements beyond NJ 9842, the area was inhospitable due to the Siachen Glacier and still largely unexplored. However, the peaks on the Saltoro Ridge (Saltoro Kangri, K12, Ghent Kangri, Sherpi Kangri) became mountaineering objectives, for international expeditions. In the 1970s and 80s, Pakistan began granting permission, even providing logistic support and military liaison officers, to expeditions in this area. In 1984, India executed OP MEGHDOOT, using the Ladakh Scouts and 4 KUMAON. In early April, Indian troops physically occupied the Saltoro Ridge; including all the three passes at Bilafond La, Sia La and Gyong La. Pakistan objected to India’s occupation of the Saltoro Ridge stating that it was a violation of the Shimla Accord. In their perception, the LC should follow NE directly to Karakoram Pass, without the norm of crest lines and watersheds. In 1987 and 1989 Pakistan launched attacks to evict Indian troops but the attempts were foiled and Indian positions have been further consolidated.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-05-05): The decision to de-militarize or rather withdraw from Siachen has been taken arbitrarily at the highest political level disregarding strong objections by successive army chiefs including the current chief, Gen Bikram Singh. He has even made a statement to the media opposing demilitarization of the glacier. The agreement mainly includes: setting up a joint commission to delineate the line beyond NJ 9842, the map coordinate south of the incompletely demarcated disputed territory; joint authentication of present ground positions; determination of places for redeployment; disengagement and demilitarization in mutually acceptable time frame, and cooperative monitoring of activities to ensure transparency. The agreement states that re-occupation cannot be done speedily. This is absurd as it negates India’s ability to use helicopters for lightning occupation. This gives Pakistan a huge advantage because the western flanks and glacial valleys of the Saltoro ridge are controlled by Pakistan. They do not have snow during summer and can be reached under cover of darkness and of bad weather on foot. The provision for technical surveillance is a red herring because of the tough terrain and extreme weather.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2018-06-24): The Siachen Glacier is part of a larger territory dispute between India and Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan have had a significant military presence here (mostly along the Saltoro Ridge) since April 1984. The conflict has been called, The Highest Battleground in the World". Pakistan and India spend upwards of $1 million dollars a day to keep troops amassed along such demanding and inhospitable terrain. [...] Around the same time, Pakistan had also started to grant climbing permits to K2, the Himilayan mountain known as the hardest mountain to climb. When the Indian Army learned of this, they immediately assembled a military expedition to the Siachen Glacier. The glacier and the surrounding mountains range from 19,000 to 22,000 feet above sea level. The whole area is extremely cold and heavily glaciated. It is sometimes called The Third Pole. Never-the-less both Pakistani and Indian troops have chosen to remain amassed along the Saltoro Ridge.
Claim: Saltoro Ridge is a territory of Pakistan (Saltoro Ridge, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2014-04-12): India immediately dispatched troops to the Siachen, beating Pakistan by a week. By then they had already got control of the glacier and the adjacent Saltoro ridge, using Col Kumar's maps. One of the key Indian installations on the Siachen today is named Kumar Base after him.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-09): On 22 May 2019, the United Nations General Assembly debated and adopted a resolution that affirmed that the Chagos archipelago "forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius." The resolution demanded that the UK "withdraw its colonial administration ... unconditionally within a period of no more than six months." 116 states voted in favour of the resolution, 55 abstained and only 5 countries supported the United Kingdom. During the debate, the Mauritian Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, described the expulsion of Chagossians as "akin to a crime against humanity," while the United Kingdom continued to assert that it had no doubt about its sovereignty over the archipelago.[50] The Maldives were one of the countries which supported the UK in the General Assembly vote. It stated that, if the Chagos Archipelago became inhabited, the Maldives claim to an extension of its Exclusive Economic Zone would be affected. The resolution's immediate consequence was that the UN and other international organisations became bound by UN law to support the decolonisation of the Chagos Islands.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-09-29): Diego Garcia is one of about 60 islands that make up the Chagos Archipelago or British Indian Ocean Territory (Biot) - the last colony established by the UK by separating it from Mauritius in 1965. It is located about halfway between East Africa and Indonesia. [...] Mauritius, which won independence from the UK in 1968, maintains that the islands are its own and the United Nations' highest court has ruled, in an advisory opinion, that the UK's administration of the territory is "unlawful" and must end. It said the Chagos Islands should be handed over to Mauritius in order to complete the UK's "decolonisation".
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-08): The British Indian Ocean Territory was created in November 1965. It encompassed seven atolls in the Chagos archipelago, which were legally separated from Mauritius along with three islands – Aldabra, Desroches and Farquhar – that were later ceded to the Seychelles when it gained independence in 1976. [...] Mauritius, however, has consistently maintained its claim to the Chagos Islands. It lodged formal complaints with the British government, but the UK maintained that the islands would only be returned when they were no longer needed for defence purposes. [...] The transfer of sovereignty over the Chagos Islands may raise concerns about strategic vulnerabilities and geopolitical influence. But it also represents a step towards addressing historical injustices and resolving a longstanding territorial dispute.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-08): Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). It has been used as a joint UK-U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the forcible expulsion of its inhabitants by the UK government. The Chagos Islands have been a British overseas territory, but in early October 2024, the UK agreed to transfer sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, while allowing the military base to remain under a 99-year lease, pending a treaty ratification.[3] [...] - ^ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Maldives-Lakshadweep-Chagos Archipelago tropical moist forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 8 March 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2012. [...] - Atolls of the Chagos Archipelago - Capitals in Asia - Capitals of British Overseas Territories - Geography of the British Indian Ocean Territory - Islands of the British Indian Ocean Territory - Mauritius–United Kingdom relations - Mauritius–United States relations - Military of the British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories - Ramsar sites in British Overseas Territories - United Kingdom–United States relations
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-04): The UK Government has reached a political agreement to allow Mauritius to take sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. [...] Chagos has seven atolls and around 60 islands; of these, Diego Garcia is by far the largest. [...] Chagos archipelago is a strategic point in the Indian Ocean between Africa and India, which is why it is a useful spot for nations seeking regional influence.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): Fact check: US leaders have welcomed Chagos Archipelago deal [...] A senior politician has claimed the UK’s American allies "will be furious" after the Government reached a deal with Mauritius over the future of the Chagos Archipelago. [...] State.gov – Agreement between the Republic of Mauritius and the United Kingdom on the Status of the Chagos Archipelago (archived)
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland today confirm that they have reached an historic political agreement on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. Following two years of negotiation, this is a seminal moment in our relationship and a demonstration of our enduring commitment to the peaceful resolution of disputes and the rule of law. Negotiations have been conducted in a constructive and respectful manner, as equal sovereign States, on the basis of international law, and with the intention of resolving all outstanding issues between the United Kingdom and Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, including those relating to its former inhabitants. Today’s political agreement is subject to the finalisation of a treaty and supporting legal instruments, which both sides have committed to complete as quickly as possible. Under the terms of this treaty the United Kingdom will agree that Mauritius is sovereign over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia. At the same time, both our countries are committed to the need, and will agree in the treaty, to ensure the long-term, secure and effective operation of the existing base on Diego Garcia which plays a vital role in regional and global security. For an initial period of 99 years, the United Kingdom will be authorised to exercise with respect to Diego Garcia the sovereign rights and authorities of Mauritius required to ensure the continued operation of the base well into the next century.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-04): The Chagos Islands, officially known as the Chagos Archipelago, are a group of over 60 tropical islands located in the central Indian Ocean. [...] The Chagos Archipelago consists of seven atolls, the largest and most well-known being Diego Garcia. [...] The Chagos Archipelago has stunning coral reefs and is home to a diverse marine ecosystem, making it an important conservation area.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-07): Chagos Archipelago islands, Indian Ocean verifiedCite [...] UK gives sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The US base on Diego Garcia stays Chagos Archipelago, island group in the central Indian Ocean, located about 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. It is coterminous with the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-08): - About Chagos Archipelago in Governenment of Mauritius website - Film and video - Chagos: A Documentary Film - Stealing a Nation (TV documentary, 2004), a Special Report by John Pilger - Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute - Chagos Archipelago - British Indian Ocean Territory - Politics of Mauritius - Politics of the Maldives - Maldives and the Commonwealth of Nations - Mauritius and the Commonwealth of Nations - Mauritius–United Kingdom relations - Maldives–United Kingdom relations - Maldives–Mauritius relations - Territorial disputes of the United Kingdom - Territorial disputes of the Maldives - Territorial disputes of Mauritius - United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations - Sovereignty - International disputes
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2022-02-25): While its former population fights to return home, the Chagos islands are experiencing a remarkable rebounding of wildlife on a reef that’s considered the most pristine in the world. [...] Salomon Atoll is the kind of fabled stop that travellers sail halfway around the world to reach. It’s found south of the Maldives in the north eastern part of the Chagos Archipelago, a region of the British Indian Ocean Territory that encompasses seven atolls and more than 60 low-lying islands. Off most people's radar, the best known island in Chagos is Diego Garcia, a US military base 100 nautical miles south of Ile Takamaka. [...] It's a strange thing to be permitted to use the nation of an exiled people as your private tropical playground. And as we made our way around Ile Takamaka, scrambling over trees and wading through the warm ocean, I was struck by the lushness of the place. In 2010, the UK government created a marine protected area that turned the waters surrounding the Chagos Archipelago into the world’s largest marine reserve. The reason for its creation was, in part, a cynical one, as the highly regulated "no-take zone" means that Chagossians can’t fish commercially and acts as yet another hurdle to keep them out.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-04): Prelims level: Chagos Islands (Archipelago) [...] - British Foreign Minister announced that the deal with Mauritius has settled the long-standing dispute over the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, the UK’s last overseas territory in Africa. - The agreement also ensures the long-term future of the Diego Garcia military base, which is jointly operated by the UK and US.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-10-03): The Chagos Archipelago (/ˈtʃɑːɡoʊs/ or /ˈtʃɑːɡəs/) or Chagos Islands (formerly the Bassas de Chagas,[1] and later the Oil Islands) is a group of seven atolls in the Indian Ocean. The atolls are made up of more than 60 individual islands. The islands are located about 500 kilometres (310 mi) south of Maldives. The International community has a strong consensus that the islands are part of Mauritius, but nevertheless, they remain illegally occupied by the United Kingdom, which rents out the islands to the US for a military base. On 25 February 2019, in an advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice found that the United Kingdom illegally separated the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius after its independence in 1968. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on May 22, 2019, commanding Great Britain to return the Chagos Archipelago to the Republic of Mauritius within six months, which would allow Chagossians to recover their land, but Great Britain refused to comply.
Claim: Chagos Archipelago is a territory of Maldives (Chagos Archipelago, 2024-10-09)
Evidence (2024-07-26): Chagos Archipelago, Camp Thunder Cove, British Indian Ocean Territory The Chagos Archipelago, sometimes known as the Chagos Islands, is a group of seven atolls in the Indian Ocean, roughly 500 kilometers south of the Maldives archipelago. The Chagos-Laccadive Ridge is a substantial undersea mountain range in the Indian Ocean, and this group of islands makes up its southernmost archipelago. Except for a few relatively small exceptions, all are low-lying atolls centered around lagoons. The Chagos Islands had been home to the native Chagossians, a Bourbonnais Creole-speaking people, until the United Kingdom evacuated them between 1967 and 1973 at the request of the US to allow the US to create a military facility on Diego Garcia. Since 1971, only the atoll of Diego Garcia has been inhabited, and only by US military forces, including American civilian contractual people.