New Delhi: The Indian Army on Thursday said that there are no soldiers “missing in action” following a violent clash with troops of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.
There were reports that 10 Indian soldiers were missing from Monday night onwards after the clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The Chinese too suffered a few casualties, but the numbers are said to be in single digits.
The Indian Army troops who were attacked and suffered fatal casualties on Monday night were carrying weapons, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar clarified. However, they did not fire on their adversaries.
In the meantime, the Major General-level dialogue is taking place at the site of attack at patrolling point 14 in Galwan valley on Thursday to ease out the tense situation.
On Wednesday also, top Indian and Chinese military commanders talked at Galwan Valley over the violent clash along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh but the three-hour dialogue remained inconclusive at the end of the day.
The clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, occurred at the south bank of Galwan river, which flows in an east-west direction before its confluence with Shyok river.
The dialogue was to ensure that Chinese People’s Liberation Army pulls back all its troops from the Galwan Valley and removed all the military-grade tents which house them.
Both the forces have redeployed troops at the site of the clash. Sources said that India Army officials have made clear to Chinese counterparts that they have to move back.
Major Gen Abhijit Bapat, who is the Commander of the Indian Army’s 3 Division, raised several points with the Chinese officers with regards to the incident on the intervening night of June 15/16.