• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
No Result
View All Result
Thursday, March 4, 2021
THE MILLENNIAL SOURCE
  • World
  • US
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Profiles
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Travel
    • Tech & Money
    • Health
    • Entertainment
  • Newsletter
TMS
No Result
View All Result
Home WORLD

India says 20 soldiers killed during clash along India-China border

byJane Yap
June 17, 2020
in WORLD
Reading Time: 5 minute read
India says 20 soldiers killed during clash along India-China border

Source: Diptendu Dutta

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin



In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Indian and Chinese troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) marking a major escalation in the monthslong standoff at their disputed border. The clash resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers. 

The deaths are the first fatalities in the four decadelong dispute between the neighbors. 

Indian soldiers killed in major escalation of India-China border dispute

In a statement, the Indian Army confirmed the death of 20 troops, including one officer as a result of the confrontation. Three were killed during the clash and 17 died after sustaining critical injuries. 

An Indian commander also said that dozens of soldiers were missing implying capture by the Chinese. 

New Delhi based news agency ANI, reported that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties, citing government and military sources. However, Chinese officials and state media outlets have not released any official numbers.

Officials from both sides have attested that no shots were fired, which is in line with their de facto border code not to use firearms. Instead, soldiers resorted to fist fighting and the use of crude weapons such as stones, iron rods and clubs. It is also said that some troops potentially reinforced with nails and barbed wire. 

The clash allegedly started during a meeting attended by hundreds of soldiers from both sides who had congregated at the Galwan Valley region to discuss efforts to de-escalate tensions. 

India says 20 soldiers killed during clash along India-China border

What triggered the fighting remains unclear, with both sides giving conflicting reports of incidents prior to the escalation.

At the meeting – according to an Indian source – Chinese officers insulted a group of Indian soldiers including a commanding officer, thus provoking a fight between soldiers which quickly spiraled into a brawl.

“They attacked with iron rods, the commanding officer was grievously injured and fell, and when that happened, more soldiers swarmed to the area and attacked with stones,” the source told Reuters. “The Chinese side [then] brought in reinforcements and the brawl went on for a couple of hours.”

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Shrivastava, labeled the incident as “an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo” on the border. 

“India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control. We expect the same of the Chinese side,” said Shrivastava. 

The ministry said that while it maintains expectations that the situation can “unfold smoothly” through dialogue, they remain “strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

On the other hand, Chinese military spokesman Zhang Shuli, released a statement saying that Indian troops “seriously violated the mutual consensus reached by both countries …. broke their promises and once again crossed the LAC to engage in illegal activities.”

“They have deliberately launched a provocative assault, leading to an intense physical clash that caused death and injury,” he said.  

He then addressed the Indian military and asked that they “restrict the front line troops and stop all provoking and intervening actions” and “meet China halfway so both sides can return to the correct track of communication to solve disputes.” 

Following the incident, Indian Army sources said that the Chinese military reached out and called for both nations’ major general to defuse tensions.

Earlier this month, top Chinese and Indian military generals met and reported that both sides have vowed to “peacefully resolve the situation … in accordance with various bilateral agreements.”

Kelsey Broderick, Asia analyst with the Eurasia Group, said that considering the “higher-than-normal nationalism on both sides,” this incident “[increases] the chance that the current standoff becomes a prolonged and unresolved situation.”

“These types of skirmishes are likely to become more frequent as China asserts more territorial claims and India starts to push back against Chinese incursions,” she added.

Her concerns were reiterated by Long Xingchun, the president of Chinese think tank – Chengdu Institute of World Affairs.

“These are the first casualties happening during a border conflict between China and India in decades, and it could arouse extreme nationalistic voices inside India that push its government to adopt a hawkish stance against China,” Long said. “If India really did so, it would lead to an even more intensified situation that could result in more casualties.

“It is imperative for both sides, especially between national leaders, to calm down the situation and tighten the border control, instead of being swayed by extremists,” Long insisted.

Although the current situation appears dire, some assert that a war is unlikely. 

“Whatever India might want to do it’s not in a position to do,” said Bharat Karnad, a professor of security studies at the Center for Policy Research at New Delhi, citing India’s economic and health crisis caused by the coronavirus.

“The Modi government is in a difficult position,” he said. “This is bound to escalate … [but] we are not prepared for this kind of escalation.”

Despite a previously rejected offer to mediate tensions between India and China, the State Department in Washington has said that the United States is “closely monitoring” the situation.

“Both India and China have expressed a desire to de-escalate, and we support a peaceful resolution of the current situation,” the department said in a statement. 

Have a tip or story? Get in touch with our reporters at [email protected]

Like TMS? Subscribe to our free daily newsletter

Related

Tags: AsiaPoliticsShort read
ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

How would Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2% wealth tax work?

How would Senator Elizabeth Warren’s 2% wealth tax work?

March 4, 2021
After an ascendant 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is having a terrible 2021

After an ascendant 2020, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is having a terrible 2021

March 3, 2021
The Biden administration's changes to the Paycheck Protection Program

The Biden administration’s changes to the Paycheck Protection Program

March 2, 2021

The Dasgupta Review offers economically viable solutions for combating climate change

March 2, 2021

Here are the biggest take-aways from CPAC 2021

March 1, 2021

The House passed a COVID relief bill. What’s in it?

February 28, 2021

The Dasgupta Review urges us to rethink the economics of climate change and nature

February 28, 2021

China’s Lunar New Year experiment with digital currency

February 28, 2021

Will Biden follow the Trump administration’s plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan?

February 25, 2021
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service

© 2020 The Millennial Source Ltd.

No Result
View All Result
  • World
  • US
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Profiles
  • Lifestyle
    • Food & Travel
    • Tech & Money
    • Health
    • Entertainment
  • Newsletter

© 2020 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.