The Chinese came with iron rods and bamboo with nails: Sources on India-China clash in Ladakh
Leh/IBNS: The Chinese soldiers came with iron rods and bamboo with nails and encircled Indian soldiers who fought valiantly leading to martyrdom of 20 personnel on the Indian side and heavy casualty on the Chinese side, sources confirmed IBNS on the clash in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. A fierce hand-to-hand fighting raged on ground zero and the death toll could be more than 20 as many are seriously injured.
The sources claimed 43 deaths on the Chinese side. The Chinese toll was also confirmed by ANI though there is no corroboration officially from China except that it was a violent faceoff. Another report quoting US Intelligence said 35 Chinese soldiers were killed.
According IBNS sources, the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) attacked Indian soldiers, including officers, JCOs. There was no firing in the battle.
According to reports from the Military Hospital Leh (153GH) many of the bodies of the Indian soldiers were mutilated.
Sources said over 100 Indian soldiers were wounded though the exact figure is not yet confirmed.
Colonel B Santosh Babu of the Bihar Regiment, Havildar Palani and Sepoy Ojha are three among the martyrs to have been confirmed by the army.
The News Last Night:
At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel, were martyred during a "violent face-off" with Chinese forces along the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the Indian Army confirmed Tuesday.
"Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020.
"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," the Indian Army said in a statement.
"The Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation," the Army said.
Chinese provocation:
Indian sources from the frontline confirmed the extreme Chinese provocation and deliberate action in the latest episode though China tried to pass the blame on India.
A Chinese military spokesperson on Tuesday said that Indian side should strictly restrain their frontline troops and return to the correct track of dialogue and negotiations to resolve the differences, Xinhua reported.
Zhang Shuili, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said: "The Indian troops had violated their promises and once again crossed the Line of Actual Control for illegal activities, and deliberately provoked and attacked the Chinese forces, thus triggering fierce physical conflicts between the two sides and causing casualties."
According to a News18 report, "Inside two days of the disengagement agreed to at the two generals’ meeting in Chushul, though, the PLA set up a fresh tent at Patrol Point 14, inside territory claimed by India." Colonel Babu’s unit (who died in the battle), government sources said, was ordered to ensure the tent was removed, the report said.
The same report quoting sources said "the PLA refused to vacate Point 14 — reneging on the 6 June agreement — leading to a melee in which the Chinese tent was burned down."
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