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China admits losing ‘less than 20’ troops including officer in clash with Indian soldiers at Galwan: Reports

Until now, even as New Delhi had officially announced that 20 of its soldiers were killed in a clash with the PLA in Ladakh’s Galwan valley, Beijing had remained tight-lipped about its casualties.

China admits losing ‘less than 20’ troops including officer in clash with Indian soldiers at Galwan: Reports

(Representational Photo: AFP)

A day after Indian media reported that India had handed over dead bodies of 16 Chinese soldiers to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China on Monday for the first time admitted that it lost “less than 20” troops during the violent face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan valley last week.

In a meeting of the Corps commanders of India and China at Moldo on the Chinese side of LAC opposite Chushul, the People’s Liberation Army informed that they had lost a commanding officer in the violent face-off.

The admission comes a week after the clash at Galwan valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

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Until now, even as New Delhi had officially announced that 20 of its soldiers were killed in a clash with the PLA in Ladakh’s Galwan valley, Beijing had remained tight-lipped about its casualties.

Following the face-off, Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side had suffered over 40 casualties including dead and seriously injured. A Commanding Officer of Chinese Unit was also reportedly among those killed in the skirmish.

China’s defence ministry had confirmed that the incident had resulted in casualties but did not give details. China had justified the censorship about the casualties of its troops arguing that it was a goodwill gesture from Beijing.

Meanwhile, The Global Times, the mouthpiece of the Chinese Community Party regime in Beijing, in a piece quoting “Chinese experts” on Monday said that “the reason why China did not release the number” of its casualties, is that China “wants to avoid an escalation.”

“If China released the number which is less than 20, the Indian government would again come under pressure,” the Global Times tweeted quoting an “observer” from the piece.

An unprecedented violent clash took place in Galwan Valley on Monday night at the Line of Actual Control with Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers attacking a small group of Indian Army men on patrol, resulting in fatalities which included the commanding officer of the Indian Army.

The intensity of the fight increased with reinforcements from the both sides and it continued until late night till the time they got exhausted. Many Indian soldiers went missing during the fight. Early on Tuesday morning, both Indian and Chinese top military officials rushed and called for a meeting to defuse the situation.

According to an AFP report, the soldiers were not shot but were killed in hand-to-hand combat on Indian territory. The soldiers threw punches and stones at each other and the Chinese troops allegedly used rods and nail-studded clubs during the fight that lasted for hours until midnight on Monday.

As per reports, around 120 Indian soldiers were trapped and encircled by Chinese troops and thereafter savagely beaten, many to the point of mutilation, on Monday night.

These are the first casualties faced by the Indian Army in clash with the People’s Liberation Army since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, today’s high-level military talk comes even as over thousands of Indian Army men stand a few meters away from LAC against Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

This is the second such meeting after the first one on June 6 happened to defuse the tensions.

After the June 15 violent clash, nothing seems to have changed and things continue to be tense in Galwan and Pangong Tso region.

In the midst of the growing tension, India is exploring all possible military options as a response if the Chinese aggression continues.

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