India-China border tension | 20 Army personnel killed in Galwan Valley face-off

Twenty Indian Army personnel killed in a violent face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley, the Indian Army said.

"Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15-16 June. 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at stand-off location have succumbed to their injuries, the Army said in a statement.

"Indian Army is firmly committed to protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation," the Indian Army added.

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Indian intercepts reveal that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties, including dead and seriously injured in a face-off in the Galwan valley, ANI has tweeted quoting sources.

Indian intercepts reveal that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in face-off in the Galwan valley: Sources confirm to ANI pic.twitter.com/xgUVYSpTzs

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— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2020

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about last night's clash as well the overall situation in eastern Ladakh after he held a high-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs.

According to a senior military officer, it is the first incident involving the casualty of an Indian soldier in a violent clash with the Chinese Army after 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.

"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place on Monday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers," the Army said in a brief statement.

"Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation," it said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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