In a “violent face-off” with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley area of Ladakh on Monday night, Indian army’s Colonel-rank officer and 2 jawans were killed. The officer was commanding an infantry battalion of the Army. The face-off took place during efforts to de-escalate the prevailing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Casualities have also taken place on the Chinese side, the Army said.
In an official statement, the Army said, “During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday (Monday) night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers.”
The statement added that senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation.
Details of what exactly led to the violent face-off are not clear at the moment. Defence sources privy to the development said no bullets were fired during the face-off. The sources said stones and metal clubs were used to attack the soldiers and they succumbed to their injuries.
After publishing comprehensive eye-opening maps of confrontation site in Galwan Valley & Panggong Tso fingers area, @IndiaToday Open Source Investigation Team (OSINT) is now working on detailing military build up in Hot Springs area near Gogra post. Watch this space for details.. pic.twitter.com/lfy1jqlqDW
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) June 16, 2020
Meanwhile in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, the three service chiefs and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss the recent developments in eastern Ladakh.
On the other hand, China has accused India of crossing the border. In a report news agency AFP said China has confirmed the Monday-night incident and accused India of crossing the border and “attacking” Chinese troops.
According to AFP, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Indian troops “crossed the border line twice… provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides.”
This major development comes at a time when Indian and Chinese troops are involved in a massive stand-off in eastern Ladakh for the past one-and-a-half-month.
Since early May, significant numbers of Chinese troops have been camping in the Indian side of the LAC in Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso lake area.
Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in bitter standoffs in several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in mountainous eastern Ladakh recently. Both the countries are holding talks at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the dispute.
