Tension escalates: India says three soldiers killed during 'violent faceoff' with China in Galwan Valley
New Delhi/Beijing: The already heightened tension between India and China escalated further as an Indian Army officer and two jawans were killed during a 'violent face-off' with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh.
"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties," read a statement by the Indian Army.
The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers, it added.
Aiming to defuse the situation, senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue.
“Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation,” read the statement.
It is pertinent to mention here that the troops of two Himalayan nations have been ranged against each other in the remote snow desert of Ladakh since April in the most serious border flare-ups in years after Chinese patrols advanced into Indian side of the de facto border.
The violent face-off prompted India Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hold a high level review meeting in which the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat, External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishanker and three service chiefs were present.
The Defence Minister also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the operational situation prevailing at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh, reports UNI.
China Reacts:
The Chinese side has lodged a strong protest and solemn representation to India.
“Indian troops on Monday seriously violated the consensus of the two sides by illegally crossing the border twice and carrying out provocative attacks on Chinese soldiers, resulting in serious physical clashes,” Chinese foreign ministry was quoted saying by Global Times, run by the ruling Communist Party of China.
The Chinese military suffered casualties too, according to the editor-in-chief of Global Times.
"Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash. I want to tell the Indian side, don’t be arrogant and misread China’s restraint as being weak. China doesn’t want to have a clash with India, but we don’t fear it.," Hu Xijin said in a tweet.
Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash. I want to tell the Indian side, don’t be arrogant and misread China’s restraint as being weak. China doesn’t want to have a clash with India, but we don’t fear it.
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) June 16, 2020
Further, the Chinese side said that it has lodged solemn representations with the Indian side and urged it to strictly restrain its frontline troops from crossing the border or taking any unilateral action that may complicate the situation.
Sources told UNI the soldiers who were involved in the violent face-off belonged to 16 Bihar Regiment, and included a junior commissioned officer (JCO) besides the Commanding Officer of the rank of Colonel from Bihar regiment.
Sources in the Army told the news agency that no firing had taken place during clashes with the Chinese troops.
Punjab CM Amarinder Singh reacts:
Reacting to the development, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh tweeted, "The happening in the #Galwanvalley is a continuation of violations by China. It is time now that the country stands up to these incursions. Our soldiers are not fair game that every few days officers and men are being killed and injured defending our borders."
He demanded the Indian government to take some stringent measures.
"It is time now for the Govt of India to take some stringent measures. Each sign of weakness on our part makes the Chinese reaction more belligerent. I join the nation in paying tribute to our brave martyrs. The nation stands with you in your hour of grief," he said.
India-China engaged in tough conflict in recent times:
India and China have been engaged in a stand-off for over a month, after China advanced its troops along the LAC and transgressed it at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh.
Following the standoff in eastern Ladakh, the two sides have deployed additional troops along the LAC, the de-facto Sino-India border, in North Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh.
Both sides held a series of talks in the last few days to resolve the row.
Aiming to resolve the impasse, Leh-based 14 Corps Commander Lt General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military Region Commander Maj Gen Liu Lin held a six-hour meeting on June 6.
The meeting was followed by Major General-level talks on Wednesday and Friday.
Last week in Dehradun, Army Chief General MM Naravane had said that the situation along the LAC was under control.
Death of an Indian soldier in past:
The last time when the deaths on the India-China border occurred was in 1975 when the Indian patrol was ambushed by the Chinese soldiers on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh.
Image: Pixabay and Wikimedia Commons
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