3 Indian soldiers killed on Chinese border, China blames provocation

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By David Aaro | Fox News


https://i.imgur.com/Z7P2jCG.png

At least three Indian soldiers were killed during a "violent faceoff" with Chinese troops in the Himalayas on Monday night, according to the Indian army.

It's the first confrontation between the two Asian powers in which soldiers have died since 1975. Casualties were reported on both sides.

“The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers,” the statement said. “Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation.”

The confrontation with Chinese troops occurred along their disputed frontier high in the Himalayas. Thousands of soldiers on both sides have been squaring off on the border for over a month.

China had accused Indian forces of carrying out “provocative attacks” on its troops near their side of the border, leading to “serious physical conflicts” between both sides.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

[Godfather]

Sounds like it was up to 20 soldier but no gunfire exchanged... must've been a friggin royal rumble :shock:

[lost in melb.]

Yep


At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with Chinese forces in a disputed Himalayan border area, Indian officials say.

The incident follows rising tensions, and is the first deadly clash in the border area in at least 45 years.

The Indian army initially said three of its soldiers had been killed, adding that both sides suffered casualties.

But later on Tuesday, officials said a number of critically injured soldiers had died of their wounds.

India's external affairs ministry accused China of breaking an agreement struck the previous week to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley.

BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says violence between two armies high up in the Himalayas is very serious, and pressure will grow on the two nuclear powers not to allow a slide into full-scale conflict.

What have both sides said about the incident?
Early on Tuesday the Indian army said three of its soldiers, including an officer, had died in a clash in Ladakh, in the disputed Kashmir region.

Later in the day, it released a statement saying the two sides had disengaged.

It added that "17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty" and died from their injuries, taking the "total that were killed in action to 20".

China did not confirm any casualties, but accused India in turn of crossing the border onto the Chinese side.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said India had crossed the border twice on Monday, "provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides", AFP news agency reported.

Kashmir map
Both sides insist no bullet has been fired in four decades, and the Indian army said on Tuesday that "no shots were fired" in this latest skirmish.

How a clash that did not involve an exchange of fire could prove so lethal is unclear. There are reports that it was fought with rocks and clubs

Local media outlets reported that the Indian soldiers had been "beaten to death"