China sends new troops into Hong Kong at night: report

The Chinese military deployed a new group of soldiers to Hong Kong on Thursday amid ongoing protests in the semi-autonomous territory, The New York Times reported.

The move was described as a normal, annual rotation of the military’s garrison, but it is likely to be linked to the demonstrations.

{mosads}“This rotation is an annual normal routine action approved by the Central Military Commission,” Lt. Col. Han You, a spokesman for the Hong Kong garrison of the People’s Liberation Army, said in a statement to the Times.

The shift came just hours before two protest organizers claim they were attacked.

Hong Kong has been wracked for months with protests that started in opposition to a bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China.

Its chief executive, Carrie Lam, suspended the bill, but that has failed to stem the protests, with many locals expressing fear it could be revived and expand China’s control over the city.

The Chinese military has had troops stationed in Hong Kong since the handover of the city from British control in 1997.

Roughly 6,000 to 10,000 troops are there at any given time, according to the Times.