NEW DELHI / BEIJING: Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a "violent clash" with Chinese troops at the disputed border in Ladakh, the Indian army said on Tuesday, reporting the first casualties in 45 years as a result of a clash between countries.
Indian government sources said they did not fire but that a physical fight between the two sides erupted with soldiers using batons and throwing stones, resulting in casualties.
The Indian Army initially said that three of its soldiers had been killed, adding that both sides suffered casualties. However, later Tuesday, authorities said several seriously wounded soldiers had died from injuries, international media reported.
Indian army sources said Colonel Santosh Babu, commander of 16 Bihar Regiment, lost his life near Patrol Point 14. Foreign media also claimed that the Chinese side also suffered casualties, including deaths and serious injuries in the confrontation.
India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused China of breaking an agreement reached the previous week to respect the Current Line of Control (FTA) in the Galway Valley. According to the Indian statement, "a violent confrontation occurred as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there."
China did not confirm any victims but accused India of crossing the border to the Chinese side. "The surprising thing is that on June 15, the Indian side severely violated our consensus and twice crossed the borderline and provoked and attacked the Chinese forces, causing a violent physical confrontation between the two border forces," Zhao Lijian told reporters. in Beijing.
"China is raising strong opposition and severe representations to the Indian side on this," he said. No information on victims was provided. China's military demanded that India stop all provocations and return to dialogue.
The Global Times editor-in-chief said the Chinese military had suffered losses, although it was unclear whether they were dead or wounded. "As far as I know, the Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galway Valley physical shock," Hu Xijin said in a tweet.
He did not elaborate. Local media reported that the Indian soldiers had been "beaten to death", but there was no confirmation from the army. China's Global Times newspaper reported that "solemn representations" had been made with India about the incident.
In reality, LAC is poorly demarcated. The presence of rivers, lakes, and snowy mountains means that the line can change. Representing two of the world's largest armies, soldiers on both sides meet face to face at many points. Both sides insist that a bullet had not been fired in four decades, and the Indian army said Tuesday that "it was not fired" in this latest skirmish.
There have been tense clashes between the two nuclear powers along the border in recent weeks. India has accused China of sending thousands of troops to the Galway Valley of Ladakh and says that China occupies 38,000sq km (14,700sq miles) of its territory. Several rounds of talks in the past three decades have failed to resolve border disputes.
The two countries have fought a single war so far, in 1962, when India suffered a humiliating defeat. In May, dozens of Indian and Chinese soldiers exchanged physical blows in a border clash in the north-eastern state of Sikkim. And in 2017, the two countries clashed in the region after China attempted to extend a border road through a disputed plateau.
There are a number of reasons why tensions are mounting now, but competing strategic objectives lie at the root, and the two sides blame each other. India has built a new path in what experts say is the most remote and vulnerable area throughout LAC in Ladakh. And India's decision to increase infrastructure seems to have angered Beijing. The road could increase Delhi's ability to move men and equipment quickly in the event of a conflict. Himachal Pradesh police have issued an alert in the Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts, which share borders with China, in view of the violent clash.
“We remain firmly convinced of the need to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also firmly committed to ensuring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India.
Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of LAC. We hope the same on the Chinese side, "said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh held two consecutive meetings with senior military officials on Tuesday to discuss the situation.
Rajnath Singh also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the murder of Indian Army personnel during the fighting on Monday night, as well as on the general situation in the region, government sources said.
The head of the UN, Antonio Guterres, expressed on Tuesday his concern about
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