Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed the Ladakh faceoff with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting on Tuesday, June 16. Three Indian Army jawans, including an officer commanding an infantry battalion of the Army, have been killed in the border clashes with Chinese troops on Monday night.
Rajnath Singh met PM Modi after he held a meeting with External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and the three service chiefs in the South Block here to review the current situation following the violent stand-off in the Galwan Valley amid the de-escalation operation.
'Chinese side has suffered casualties'
Meanwhile, sources have also said that the Chinese side has suffered casualties, however, it is not clear how many of their troops have lost their lives in the violent face-off.
Indian news channels reported that 5 PLA soldiers were killed in the scuffle at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with a disclaimer that it could be propaganda. The channels quoted Wang Wenwen, a Global Times journalist as its source. However, Global Times later put out a tweet denying the exact number of casualties on the Chinese side.
Editor-in-chief of the Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times, Hu Xijin, had said that even Chinese soldiers have also suffered a casualty. However, the editor continued with his intimidating stance against India and warned of any misadventure.
Last time when shots were fired
These are the first casualties faced by the Indian Army in clash with the People's Liberation Army since 1975, when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh.
Singh has asked the service chiefs to explain the current situation in the Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh and also what course of action should be taken from hereafter diplomatically.
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane was to visit Kashmir on Tuesday morning but following the developments on Monday night at Line of Actual Control, it was cancelled.
Sources in Indian Army stated: "The Defence Minister reviewed the current operational situation in Eastern Ladakh, consequent to Monday's violent face-off on the Line of Actual Control along with the Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs. The External Affairs Minister was also present during the meeting."
Three Indian Army men, including an officer, were killed on Monday night during a violent face-off with Chinese People's Liberation Army troops in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh.
Indian Army in a fresh statement also said that during the de-escalation process presently underway in the Galwan Valley, the violent face-off took place on Monday night with "casualties on both sides".
Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting to defuse the situation. A Major General level meeting between the two sides is going on after China requested to hold the meeting early in the morning.
On Monday, Brigade Commander and company level talks happened in Eastern Ladakh between India and China. The talks were happening near patrolling point 14 near the mouth of Galwan Valley and patrolling point 17 at the Hot Spring Area.
(With agency inputs)
