Published 14:50 IST, June 17th 2020
India-China LAC clash: Army releases list of 20 brave martyrs killed in action at Galwan
As India reels with the loss of 20 soldiers in the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese Army, the Indian Army, has released the list of martyrs
As India reels with the loss of 20 soldiers in the Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese Army, the Indian Army, on Wednesday, has released the list of the martyrs who lost their lives on June 15-16. While Colonel Santosh Babu and two other soldiers were killed in action at the Line of Actual Control, the other 17 injured soldiers succumbed to their injures in the sub-freezing temperatures of Ladakh. Both India and China are currently engaging in diplomatic and Army-level talks regarding the situation.
Army releases martyrs list
PM Modi calls all-party meeting
In response to China's blatant incursion into Indian territory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called an all-party meet on June 19 at 5 PM to discuss the situation at India-China border areas. The Prime Minister's office has said that presidents of various political parties can take part in the meeting that will be held virtually due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Opposition parties have been demanding a briefing on the current scenario.
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," said the Army in its statement on Tuesday night. As per sources, 4 more Jawans are in a critical condition.
What happened in Galwan?
Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred when a violent faceoff took place on Monday night when the de-escalation process was underway in the Galwan Valley. As per US intelligence reports, the Chinese side has suffered 35 casualties including a Commanding officer, during the physical clash. Sources revealed that an Indian colonel was attacked by Chinese Army personnel with iron rods without any provocation leading to a strong retaliation from the Indian side. This physical hand-to-hand combat went on for many hours on Monday, sources revealed. On Tuesday morning, senior commanders took stock of the situation and the talks started at about 7 am.
Updated 15:05 IST, June 17th 2020