At least three Indian soldiers have perished in a " violent confrontation " with the Chinese army on the disputed border in Ladakh (north of India), source of strong military tensions since May between the two Asian giants, announced Tuesday the Indian army.
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China has accused India of being responsible for the incident by crossing the disputed border twice, but has not publicly reported any deaths. Troops of the two powers have been engaged since the beginning of May in several face-to-face meetings stretched along their common border, mainly in the high-altitude region of Ladakh. A crisis that the two parties say they want to " resolve peacefully " through diplomatic channels.
“ During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent confrontation occurred last night and claimed lives on both sides. The Indian side has lost one officer and two soldiers, "said an Indian army spokesman. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijia told reporters that " Indian troops severely breached the bilateral consensus on June 15 and crossed the border twice before engaging in illegal activities and provoking and attacking Chinese soldiers, resulting in a serious physical confrontation . "
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Territorial disputes
Senior officers from both sides are currently talking on the spot to defuse the situation, according to the Indian army press release. Following talks between generals of the two armies ten days ago, a process of military disengagement had been agreed in some of the disputed areas in Ladakh.
" China and India agree to continue to resolve bilateral problems through dialogue and consultation, " said the Chinese spokesman. " We once again call on India (...) to control its border troops ," he added. " Don't cross the border, don't cause trouble, " said Zhao Lijia.
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In early May, clashes with punches, stones and sticks had notably opposed soldiers from the two countries in the Sikkim region (east of India). The clashes had left several injured. Chinese troops had also advanced into areas considered by India to be on its territory in Ladakh, prompting New Delhi to dispatch reinforcements to the region. India and China have had several long-standing territorial disputes in the areas of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh (east).
The last open conflict between the two most populous nations on the planet dates back to the 1962 Flash War in the Himalayas, which saw Indian troops quickly defeated by the Chinese army.
