NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while commenting on the hand-to-hand fighting that took place day before yesterday (Monday 15th of June, 2020) stated the they never provoked anyone: “There should be no doubt that India wants peace, but if provoked, India will provide an appropriate response.”
It is pertinent to recall here that 20 Indian security personnel (including a Colonel) lost their lives when soldiers of the two neighboring nuclear countries resorted to beat each other with stones and clubs on the disputed Himalayan border.
Speaking about the savage clash Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed that the fight erupted when Indians “crossed the line, acted illegally, provoked and attacked the Chinese, resulting in both sides engaging in serious physical conflict and injury and death”.
Indian Army has claimed that 20 of its soldiers (including a Colonel) were killed in a violent face-off with China on the disputed border on Monday (15th of June, 2020) with reports of violence on Tuesday as well.
In a statement, the Indian Army said “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.”
China’s government did not confirm any deaths among its forces, but a Chinese military commander confirmed “casualties” in a statement released late Tuesday, giving no specifics. Indian government sources said there a total 43 killed and injured on the Chinese side, Indian news agencies reported.
According to Indian Army the skirmish took place in the Galwan Valley in the mountainous region of Ladakh: “While the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place on Monday night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers.”
It is pertinent to mention here though the two nuclear forces are at daggers drawn in the western Himalayas for a number of weeks now, this was the first incident when the blood was drawn. The Editor-in-Chief of Global Times Hu Xijin has taken to the Twitter to claim: “Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash.”
Spokesman of Chinese Foreign Ministry had claimed that Indian troops violated a consensus by illegally crossing the border twice and carrying out provocative attacks on Chinese soldiers, resulting in serious physical clashes.
Both nuclear states are claiming thousands of square kilometres in the eastern Himalayas. Back in 1962 India and China fought a full-scale war for the same piece of terrain. Later too, a number of confrontations took place between the two neighbors.
One may recall that last month a skirmish took place between he two armies. India claimed that the Chinese soldiers entered an area controlled by them and commenced erecting tents and guard posts. According to Indian side the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave. Later a fistfight followed.
Though the two armies had moved artillery guns in the region, officials from both sides were negotiating and said to be gradually de-escalating the situation before Monday’s incident.
One may recall that last month a skirmish took place between the two armies. India claimed that the Chinese soldiers entered an area controlled by them and commenced erecting tents and guard posts. According to Indian side the Chinese soldiers ignored repeated verbal warnings to leave. Later a fistfight followed. ,
Before Monday’s clash, India and China were in the process of negotiating and de-escalating the tense situation. Since the two sides had positioned thousands of troops and moved artillery guns in the region a full-fledged war is a possibility.
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