NEW DELHI: A colonel-rank officer and two army personnel of the Indian Army were killed in a face-off with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley area of Ladakh on Monday night.
The colonel killed was commanding an infantry battalion of the Army in the area. The face-off occurred during efforts to de-escalate the tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Meanwhile, casualties have taken place on the Chinese side as well.
In a statement, the Indian Army said, “During the de-escalation process in the Galwan Valley, a face-off took place on Monday night with casualties on both sides.”
The statement said that senior military officials of both the sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation.
According to Indian Army sources, the soldiers were not shot. They were killed in hand-to-hand combat on the Indian Territory.
China’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile called on India to not take unilateral actions or stir up trouble, according to Reuters.
The two sides have been in a standoff for weeks at Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.
India has pushed for improving connectivity and it has decided to have some 66 key roads along the Chinese border by 2022.
One of these roads has been near the Galwan Valley which connects to India’s Daulat Beg Oldi air base — inaugurated last October.
The road has been considered important as it runs parallel to the LAC linking various points with the major supply bases inland.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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