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India and China seek to reduce tension in the Himalayas 1:01
(CNN) –– At least 20 Indian soldiers died after a “violent confrontation” with Chinese troops along the de facto border between the two countries in the Himalayas late on Monday, the Indian Army reported in a release.
The incident occurred during an ongoing “de-escalation process” in the Galwan Valley, located in the disputed area of Aksai Chin-Ladakh, where large numbers of soldiers are reported to have been accumulating on both sides of the border for weeks. , before high-ranking military commanders began talks earlier this month.
- MIRA: The dispute between China and India: this is what we know of the tension in one of the longest borders in the world
The Indian Army previously reported that three soldiers died, but added Tuesday that 17 other uniformed men "who were seriously injured in the line of duty on the spot, and were exposed to sub-zero temperatures on high-altitude terrain, have succumbed to his injuries. ”
These deaths are the first military casualties in more than 40 years on the disputed border of the two countries.
According to the previous statement from the Indian Army, there was loss of life "on both sides," but the death toll on the China side was not specified.
High-ranking military personnel from both sides are currently meeting to calm the situation, the statement added.
"India and China have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels the escalation of the situation in the eastern border area of Ladakh," Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported on Tuesday.
Srivastava added that high-ranking commanders "agreed on a process for such de-escalation" during a "productive meeting" on Saturday, June 6, and that the ground commanders met for implementation.
"Although we expected this to proceed smoothly, the Chinese side withdrew from the consensus to respect the Current Line of Control (FTA) in the Galwan Valley," the spokesperson said in the statement.
- READ: Three Indian soldiers die during clashes on the border with China in the Himalayas
"The two sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided if the top-level deal had been carefully followed by the Chinese side," he added.
“Due to its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of LAC. We expect the same from the Chinese side. We remain firmly convinced of the need to maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and of the resolution of differences through dialogue. At the same time, we are also firmly committed to guaranteeing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, ”he added.
Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Chief of Defense Staff and the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force to review the "operational situation in East Ladakh" this Tuesday, the Army indicated.
During a regular press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that on Monday "Indian troops seriously violated our consensus and twice crossed the border for illegal activities, and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel, which led to serious physical conflicts between the two parties. "
"China has filed a strong protest and representation before the India side, and once again we solemnly ask the India side to follow our consensus and strictly regulate its front-line troops, and not cross the border and cause no trouble or unilaterally make movements that can complicate things, "added Zhao.
"We both agree to solve this problem through dialogue and consultation and make efforts to alleviate the situation and maintain peace and tranquility in the border area," he added.
Zhao did not comment on whether there were Chinese victims.
The People's Liberation Army of China issued a statement Tuesday night in which it called on the Indian Army to immediately stop what it called "provocative actions" and to "solve the problem through the correct path of dialogue and the conversations ”.
"The sovereignty of the Galwan Valley region has always belonged to China," Zhang Shuili, a spokesman for the Western Theater Command, said in a statement posted on the website of the Chinese Ministry of Defense. "Indian troops violated their engagement, crossed the border for illegal activities, and deliberately launched provocative attacks."
Zhang added that the "serious physical conflict between the two parties" had "resulted in casualties."
An Indian military banner next to a road in Ladakh in 2012. The region shares a border with China and Pakistan.
"We solemnly call on the side of India to strictly regulate its front-line troops, immediately stop all infringement and provocative actions, go in the same direction as China and return to the correct path of dialogue and talks to resolve differences." the statement read.
The deaths on Monday are the first military casualties along the disputed border in more than four decades, Indian defense experts told CNN.
"We have had no victims in the Current Line of Control for at least 45 years," said Happymon Jacob, an associate professor and political analyst at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. "This is perhaps a turning point. This is perhaps the beginning of the end of the relationship that India has enjoyed with China for 45 years, "he added.
Former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, General Bikram Singh, also confirmed to CNN that this is the first fatal incident in the past 45 years.
Tensions have been mounting in the Himalayas along one of the world's longest land borders since last month, with New Delhi and Beijing accusing each other of overstepping the Current Line of Control (LAC) that separates them. The territory has long been disputed, erupting in numerous minor conflicts and diplomatic disputes since a bloody war between the two countries in 1962.
The Current Line of Control runs between the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin and the rest of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.
The approximate border line was the result of the border dispute between India and China in 1962, but neither party agrees on exactly where it is or how extensive it is.
Aksai Chin is administered by China as part of Xinjiang, but is also claimed by the Indian government as part of Ladakh.
The reported build-up of soldiers left many concerned about the potential for a confrontation, particularly as both the Chinese and Indian media have issued nationalist calls for action.
Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have garnered much public support for nationalism and a promise of future greatness. This often results in aggressive rhetoric, particularly when used for a national audience.
Such an approach was evident in China's coverage of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's maneuvers in the Himalayas. Likewise, despite Delhi's public calls to ease tensions, leading figures in the Indian government have had an aggressive tone, with Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah saying at a rally by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Earlier this month that "any intrusion on the borders of India will be punished."
"Some used to say that the United States and Israel were the only countries willing and able to avenge every drop of blood on their soldiers," Shah said. "(Modi) has added India to that list."
In a text for CNN this month, retired Indian General Bikram Singh said part of the problem is that the de facto border, LAC, is poorly defined.
"At the strategic and operational levels, both armies have shown restraint," he said. “However, at the tactical level, the confrontations occur due to the different perceptions of where the real border is, since LAC is not outlined on the ground. While fighting is resolved locally, those related to infrastructure construction, such as roads and defense fortifications, invariably take longer and require a combination of military and diplomatic initiatives. ”
In remarks before the most recent clash, former Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said she hoped the current crisis would not lead to an abandonment of lengthy diplomatic negotiations on the disputed territory.
"Even if tensions rise and tempers weaken, you would do well to remember that you have to continue to handle your differences in an adult way because armed confrontations and military fighting can have extremely serious repercussions for the stability of the region that goes beyond purely bilateral relationship between the two countries, "he said.
CNN's Manveena Suri, Vedika Sud, Shawn Deng, Sugam Pokharel, Isaac Yee and Carly Walsh all contributed to this report.