20 Indian soldiers die in clash with Chinese

Indian soldiers, including officers, who were reportedly detained by Chinese Army, have been released

Chinese Army too suffered casualties, Indian Army said, but there was no official confirmation

It’s for the first time in 45 years that Indian soldiers have been killed in combat with the Chinese at LAC

In a massive escalation of tensions between India and China, at least 20 Indian Army soldiers, including a Colonel, were killed in a violent clash on Monday night with Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh during the de-escalation process that was underway. The number of casualties may rise, sources said, as several soldiers are seriously injured.

According to official sources, an unknown number of Indian soldiers, including officers, who were reportedly in the captivity of the Chinese Army were released after a highlevel meeting between the two sides.

India and China blamed the violent face-off on each other’s territorial ambitions.

Reportedly no shots were fired by the two armies in the clash. Indian and Chinese troops attacked each other using batons, iron rods and stones. The Chinese Army too suffered casualties, the Indian Army said, but there was no official confirmation.

In a statement issued earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Army said, “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.”

Late on Tuesday evening the Indian Army issued another statement, revising the casualty. “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,” it said.

This for the first time in 45 years that Indian soldiers have been killed in combat at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between the two countries in Ladakh formed after the 1962 war. The last casualties were in 1975 when four soldiers were killed after their Assam Rifles patrol was ambushed in Arunachal Pradesh.

“Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020,” the statement added. Major Generals from both the armies had met on Tuesday morning.

The Indian Army Colonel who was martyred was identified as Colonel B. Santosh Babu, commanding officer of the 16 Bihar regiment. Two jawans who died were identified as Havildar Palani and Sepoy Ojha.

Monday night’s incident happened at Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley which comes under the 16 Bihar regiment of the Indian Army. As per initial reports, Indian troops were there to see the disengagement from the area by the Chinese Army when they were suddenly attacked by PLA soldiers. Soon back-up patrols from both sides joined. The clash between the two armies, which involved hundreds of soldiers from both sides, went on in the mountainous area till mid-night, sources said.

Chinese Army too suffered casualties but the Chinese government did not release its casualty figures. However, Hu Xijin,

Defence minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Modi on the situation at the border via video call after a meeting with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, the three military chiefs and external affairs minister S. Jaishankar.

What’s shocking is that on June 15, the Indian side severely violated our consensus and twice crossed the border line and provoked and attacked the Chinese forces, causing a violent physical confrontation between the two border forces,” — Zhao Lijian, China official

Confirming that its two high commission officials suffered grievous injuries while being tortured and physically assaulted during their illegal custody by Pakistani security agencies on Monday in Islamabad, India summoned Pakistani charge d’affaires Syed Haidar Shah for the second time in two days and lodged a strong protest with Pakistan, telling it that Pakistani agencies had threatened to harm more officials of the Indian high commission.

New Delhi also condemned Islamabad for its action of torturing and coercing the officials to accept false charges against them and rejected “the attempt by Pakistani authorities to levy false accusations and concocted charges on the officials of the high commission”. The Pakistani action by its spy agency ISI is seen as retaliation by Islamabad after two Pakistan high commission officials were asked to leave India late last month after being caught carrying out espionage activities.

In a day-long drama on Monday, the two Indian high commission staffers who had gone missing while on official duties on Monday morning were released late on Monday evening and handed back to the Indian high commission after claims by the Pakistani police that they were involved in a road accident or hit-and-run case. An FIR filed against them by the Pakistani Police that mentioned that they caused injuries to a person and were also in possession of fake currency to the tune of `10,000.

In its statement, New Delhi said: “The charge d’ affaires of the high commission of Pakistan, Mr Haider Shah, was summoned today and a strong protest lodged on the issue of the abduction and torture of two officials of the High Commission of India in Islamabad by Pakistan security agencies. Two officials of the Indian High Commission were forcibly abducted by Pakistani agencies on 15 June 2020 and kept in illegal custody for more than 10 hours. The two Indian officials were subjected to interrogation, torture and physical assault resulting in grievous injuries to them. They were video-graphed and coerced to accept a litany of fictitious allegations and concocted charges. The vehicle of the High Commission, in which they were travelling, was extensively damaged. ... The attempt by Pakistani authorities to levy false accusations and concocted charges on the officials of the High Commission is rejected in entirety”.

The MEA added, “Our grave concerns at the fact that the Pakistan agencies threatened to physically harm more officials of the Indian Mission have been shared. It has been highlighted that Pakistan is responsible for the safety and security of the Indian High Commission, its officials, staff members, their families and properties.”

Pointing out that its two officials were released on Monday evening “only after strong intervention” by New Delhi, the MEA further said, “The Government of India strongly condemns and deplores the action of the Pakistani authorities in this regard. This premeditated, grave and provocative action on the part of the Pakistani authorities, preceded by intensified surveillance, harassment and intimidation of High Commission personnel over the past several days, was designed to obstruct and disrupt the normal functioning of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.”

AN FIR filed against the two Indian officials by the Pakistani Police mentioned that they caused injuries to a person and were also in possession of fake currency to the tune of `10,000