US issues first statement on violent face-off between India-China at Galwan valley

The United States of America is 'closely monitoring' the situation following a violent clash between Indian and Chinese forces in eastern Ladakh and hopes that the differences will be resolved peacefully, officials said on Tuesday. 

Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were martyred in the clash with People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night. 

'We offer our condolences to their families'

"We are closely monitoring the situation between Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control," a State Department spokesperson said. "We note the Indian military has announced that 20 soldiers have died, and we offer our condolences to their families," the official said.

"Both India and China have expressed their desires to de-escalate and the US supports a peaceful resolution of the current situation. During their phone call on June 2, 2020, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the situation along the India-China border," the official added. 

During the faceoff, the External Affairs Ministry said, both sides suffered casualties and the Chinese side had departed from the consensus to respect the LAC in the Galwan Valley. The faceoff happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh. 

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Here is the Indian Army's statement: 

"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 standoff 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. Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held a high-level meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah in the evening where he carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh where the two armies have been in a standoff for over five weeks.

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(With agency inputs)