NEW DELHI/BEIJING: Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a ‘violent faceoff’ with Chinese troops on the disputed border in Ladakh, the Indian Army said on Tuesday, reporting the first casualties in 45 years to result from a clash between the countries.
Indian government sources said no shots were fired but a physical fight broke out between the two sides with soldiers using batons and throwing stones, which resulted in the casualties.
The Indian army initially said three of its soldiers had been killed, adding that both sides suffered casualties. However, later on Tuesday, officials said a number of critically injured soldiers had died of wounds, international media reports.
Indian Army sources said Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar regiment, lost his life near the Patrolling Point 14. Foreign media outlets also claimed that Chinese side also suffered casualties including dead and seriously injured in the face-off.
India's External Affairs Ministry accused China of breaking an agreement struck the previous week to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley. According to the Indian statement, "A violent face-off happened as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there".
China did not confirm any casualties, but accused India in turn of crossing the border onto the Chinese side. “What’s shocking is that on June 15, the Indian side severely violated our consensus and twice crossedthe border line 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 stern representations to the Indian side on this,” he said. There was no information provided on any casualties. China’s military demanded that India stop all provocations and return to dialogue.
The editor-in-chief of Global Times said the Chinese military had suffered losses, though it was unclear whether those were deaths or wounded. “Based on what I know, the Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash,” Hu Xijin said in a tweet.
He did not give further details. Local media outlets reported that the Indian soldiers had been "beaten to death" but there was no confirmation from the military. China's Global Times newspaper reported that "solemn representations" had been made with India over the incident.
The LAC is in reality poorly demarcated. The presence of rivers, lakes, and snowcaps means the line can shift. The soldiers either side - representing two of the world's largest armies - come face to face at many points. Both sides insist no bullet had been fired in four decades, and the Indian army said on Tuesday that "no shots were fired" in this latest skirmish.
There have been tense confrontations between the two nuclear powers along the border in recent weeks. India has accused China of sending thousands of troops into Ladakh's Galwan valley and says China occupies 38,000sq km (14,700sq miles) of its territory. Several rounds of talks in the last three decades have failed to resolve the boundary disputes.
The two countries have fought only one war so far, in 1962, when India suffered a humiliating defeat. In May, dozens of Indian and Chinese soldiers exchanged physical blows in a clash on the border in the north-eastern state of Sikkim. And in 2017, the two countries clashed in the region after China tried to extend a border road through a disputed plateau.
There are several reasons why tensions are rising now - but competing strategic goals lie at the root, and both sides blame each other. India has built a new road in what experts say is the most remote and vulnerable area along the LAC in Ladakh. And India's decision to ramp up infrastructure seems to have infuriated Beijing. The road could boost Delhi's capability to move men and materiel rapidly in case of a conflict. The Himachal Pradesh Police have issued an alert in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts, which share borders with China, in view of the violent clash.
“We remain firmly convinced of the need for the maintenance of peace and tranquility 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
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 from the Chinese side,” said the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held two back-to-back meetings with top military brass on Tuesday deliberating on the situation.
Rajnath Singh also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the killing of the Indian Army personnel during Monday night's clash as well as on the overall situation in the region, government sources said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres Tuesday expressed concern over reports of violence and deaths at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and urged both sides to exercise "maximum restraint," his spokesperson said.
Eri Kaneko, Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, made the comments at the daily press briefing.
“We are concerned about reports of violence and deaths at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China and urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint. We take positive note of reports that the two countries have engaged to deescalate the situation,” Kaneko said.
The Indian media also reported that Army Chief Gen MM Naravane’s planned visit to Pathankot military station had been cancelled. Meanwhile, China's Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri met in Beijing on Tuesday to defuse tensions.
