New Delhi: In a massive escalation of border tension, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the violent face-off with China in Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh, reported news agency ANI citing sources in the Indian Army. It added that the number of casualties are likely to increase.
ANI sources also said that Indian intercepts reveal that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.
Increase in Chinese chopper activity was observed across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to airlift casualties suffered by them during face-off with Indian troops in Galwan valley.
It is for the first time in 45 years that the two neighbouring countries have involved in such an incident involving fatalities.
Earlier, it was reported that three Indian soldiers including a Colonel were killed during the clashes on Monday night and that there were casualties on the Chinese side as well.
Multiple sources later confirmed that the casualty figure is much more than three on the Indian side.
The officer killed in the clash is Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, while the two soldiers were K Palani and OJha, sources said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about last night's clash as well on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh after he held a high-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs.
Army Chief Gen M M Naravane cancelled a scheduled visit to Pathankot in view of the incident in eastern Ladakh.
According to a senior military officer, it is the first incident involving the casualty of an Indian soldier in a violent clash with the Chinese Army after 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.
Military sources said the two armies held Major General-level talks at the site of the clash.
"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place on Monday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers," the Army said in a brief statement.
Senior military officials of the two sides were holding meeting at the venue to defuse the situation, it said.
Meanwhile the External Affairs Ministry said the violent face-off was the result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo in the region.
It said both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement arrived earlier 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," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
Military sources said the three Army men died due to injuries sustained following stone-pelting and use of rods by the Chinese side. However, there is no official word on it.
The sources also said that no firearms were used during the clash.
Reacting to the incident, China alleged that the Indian troops twice crossed the de-facto border on June 15 for "illegal activities and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel" which led to serious physical conflict.
"We once again solemnly ask the Indian side to follow our consensus, strictly regulate its front-line troops and do not cross the line, do not stir up troubles or make unilateral moves that may complicate matters," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said.
Large number of Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in Galwan Valley and certain other areas of eastern Ladakh for last five weeks.
The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.
A sizeable number of Chinese Army personnel even transgressed into the Indian side of the de-facto border in several areas including Pangong Tso.
The Indian Army has been fiercely objecting to the Chinese transgressions, and demanded their immediate withdrawal for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the area.
Both sides held a series of talks in the last few days to resolve the row. In their first serious efforts to end the row, Lt General Harinder Singh, the general officer commanding of the Leh-based 14 Corps, and Commander of the Tibet Military District Maj Gen Liu Lin held a nearly seven-hour meeting on June 6.The meeting was followed by two rounds of Major General-level talks.
The Indian side has been pitching for restoration of status quo ante and immediate withdrawal of thousands of Chinese troops from the areas which India considers on its side of the LAC.
On Saturday, Gen Naravane said both sides are "disengaging" in a phased manner.
"We have started from the north, from the area of the Galwan river where a lot of disengagement has taken place. It has been a very fruitful dialogue that we have had," he had said.
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 in the last few days, the sources said.
After the standoff began early last month, the Indian military leadership decided that Indian troops will adopt a firm approach in dealing with the aggressive posturing by the Chinese troops in all disputed areas of Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie.
The Chinese Army has been gradually ramping up its strategic reserves in its rear bases near the LAC by rushing in artillery guns, infantry combat vehicles and heavy military equipment.
The trigger for the face-off was China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.
The road in the Finger area in Pangong Tso is considered crucial for India to carry out patrol. India has already decided not to stall any border infrastructure projects in eastern Ladakh in view of Chinese protests.
The situation in the area deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on May 5 and 6. The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, while India contests it.
Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
