New Delhi (NVI): In his first reaction after the killing of 20 Indian troops during violent clashes with the Chinese army in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today said that the loss of soldiers is “deeply disturbing and painful.”
According to an official statement by the Army last night, 20 soldiers have been killed in the violent face-off with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the area along Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the intervening night of June 15 and 16.
Taking to Twitter today, Rajnath wrote: “The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.”
“The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers. The nation stand shoulder to shoulder with them in this difficult hour. We are proud of the bravery and courage of India’s breavehearts,” he said in another tweet.
The loss of soldiers in Galwan is deeply disturbing and painful. Our soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 17, 2020
The Indian Army in its statement yesterday said that the troops on both sides have disengaged after the face-off.
“Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020. 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20,” read the official statement.
In an earlier statement yesterday, the Army had said that one Colonel level officer and two jawans were killed in the violent stand-off in the area last night.
The Army spokesperson had also said that there have been “casualties on both sides”. The violent faceoff took place even as the de-escalation process was underway after a series of diplomatic and military level talks between the two countries.
Rajnath had also reviewed the current operational situation in Eastern Ladakh yesterday, consequent to Monday night’s violent faceoff on the LAC, along with CDS General Bipin Rawat and the chiefs of three services. External Affairs Minister S Jaisahnkar was also present during the meeting.
The Ministry of External Affairs, in its statement released last evening, said that the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, leading to a violent face-off.
“While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.
“On the late-evening and night of 15th June, 2020 a violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there,” he added.
Srivastava said that both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided “had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.”
“Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side,” he said.
This is the first loss of lives in a clash with the PLA on the disputed India China border since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.
A scuffle between the soldiers of both sides at Pangong Tso (eastern Ladakh) and Naku la (in Sikkim) came in early last month and since then, tensions between the troops on the two sides have escalated. After that, both sides mobilised thousands of troops and heavy military equipment along the LAC.
