In latest development from the Ladakh front, an Indian Army Colonel, who was the commanding officer of an infantry battalion and two Army jawans have been martyred during a clash with the Chinese troops at one of the standoff points in the Galwan Valley.
According to journalist Shiv Aroor, the three Indian Army soldiers were martyred during the ongoing clash between India and Chinese troops near Line of Actual Control at areas around Galwan valley at Ladakh.
BIG BREAKING: Indian Army Colonel (Commanding Officer of an infantry battalion) and 2 Army jawans killed in action during a clash with Chinese troops at one of the standoff points in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/Ze7zArV6h3
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 16, 2020
Aroor shared an official statement by the Indian Army which mentioned that during the de-escalation process between the two sides in the Galwan valley, a violent face-off took place between two sides on Monday night at the spot leading to casualties.
Statement from Indian Army confirms the 3 deaths. Horrifying news from Ladakh: pic.twitter.com/opHI6yZg5u
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) June 16, 2020
During the clash-off, three Indian soldiers including an colonel-rank Army officer were martyred. The Indian Army and PLA officials are now present at the spot to defuse the tensions between two sides, said Indian Army.
Chinese troops deployment near Ladakh
The tension between India and China have escalated since reports emerged that China had deployed excessive troops and set up temporary tents across the Galwan river in Ladakh after a face-off near Pangong Tso on May 5-6.
It is also believed that Chinese troops have also taken up positions along the Pangong Tso Lake and are also carrying out aggressive patrols with motorboats to intimidate Indian forces in the region. Reportedly, the Chinese troops have damaged some temporary structures put up in the finger area near Pangong Tso Lake.
The face-offs, which started as a little skirmish initiated by the Chinese troops, later took a serious turn after the Chinese side brought in troops and heavy equipment from a military exercise.
Troops clashed in Eastern sector
The Galwan stand-off comes at the backdrop of a recent incident where troops of both India and China were involved in two face-offs in a span of a week in the Eastern Ladakh and near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector along the contentious border between the two countries.
In the first incident, the Chinese army personnel had clashed with Indian forces along the northern bank of the Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh on May 5. The face-off ended the next morning following dialogue between the two sides. A number of soldiers on both sides had sustained minor injuries
Just days before, in another incident, nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel had engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector of the Sino-India border in which at least 10 soldiers sustained injuries.
