Published 22:59 IST, June 18th 2020
LAC faceoff: 76 Indian soldiers suffered injuries; 58 can resume in a week say sources
Indian army sources have revealed 76 soldiers of the Army, who were injured during the clash with Chinese troops are at various hospitals
Amid the LAC face-off between India and China, Indian Army sources have revealed 76 soldiers of the Army, who were injured during the clash with Chinese troops are at various hospitals.
Of the injured soldiers, eighteen are at the hospital in Leh. The remaining 56 are spread across other hospitals. Twenty soldiers had died in the clash on Monday.
The violent faceoff
20 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 the Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese newspaper Global Times, the Chinese side also suffered casualties 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. Speaking at the meeting with Chief Ministers on Wednesday, PM Modi issued a strong statement on the martyrdom of 20 Indian Army personnel. Stressing that bravery was a part of Indian tradition, the PM assured the people of the country that the sacrifices of the soldiers would not go in vain. The PM has convened an all-party meeting on June 19 to discuss the present situation at the LAC. In a heartening development, the Indian Army announced that all 4 injured personnel in the faceoff with China are now stable.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rejected former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's claim that the martyred Indian soldiers were unarmed. The former made it clear that Army personnel always carry arms while leaving their post. Maintaining that the soldiers were armed in Galwan on June 15, the EAM stated that the Army had followed the long-standing practice of not using firearms during faceoffs.
Updated 22:59 IST, June 18th 2020