(Updating earlier copy)
New Delhi (NVI): At least 20 Indian troops have been killed in violent clashes with China’s PLA in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, the Indian Army said in a statement tonight, even as the troops on both the sides have disengaged in the area along Line of Actual Control (LAC).
In the earlier statement, the Army had said that one Colonel level officer and two jawans were killed in the violent stand-off in the area last night.
“During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers,” the army spokesperson had said.
In a fresh statement tonight, Army said that 17 more troops were critically injured in the action. They were exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude and succumbed to their injuries, Army said, adding that the total casualties, therefore, were 20.
“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.
“Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation,” read the official statement by the Army.
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.
As the de-escalation process took a blow by the last night’s incident, senior military officials from both sides met at the venue today to defuse the situation. Major General level talks were also underway.
The Ministry of External Affairs, in its statement released in the 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.
The MEA spokesman also recalled that senior commanders had a productive meeting on June 6 and agreed on a process for such de-escalation. “Subsequently, ground commanders had a series of meetings to implement the consensus reached at a higher level,” he said.
Srivastava further stressed that India remains firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. “At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also today reviewed the current operational situation in Eastern Ladakh, consequent to yesterday’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.
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.
