As many as 45 Chinese soldiers died in a fist fight with Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley clash reported a Russian news agency. In its report on the disengagement process that began in the eastern Ladakh on Wednesday, TASS said “at least 20 Indian and 45 Chinese servicemen” lost their lives in June 2020.
The Russian news agency’s report is consistent with some other media reports of the time which had quoted some intelligence sources including those from the US. Back then China had termed reports putting the number of Chinese soldiers being killed in the Galwan Valley clash at over 40 as “fake news”.
TASS in its report said, “Chinese and Indian forces clashed in the region in May and June 2020, resulting in at least 20 Indian and 45 Chinese servicemen dead.”
It has been more than nine months since Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers happened, but China is yet to release the number of casualties its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) suffered. The Indian Army made its casualty report public putting the death toll at 20.
China, on the other hand, has repeatedly refused to comment on the casualties even though several reports suggested that Chinese force suffered higher number of casualties including the death of a PLA commanding officer.
Three separate brawls took place between the Indian and the Chinese side on June 15 after China refused to withdraw heed the disengagement agreement. Colonel Santosh Babu, the commanding officer of the 16 Bihar Infantry battalion was among the soldiers who lost their lives defending the Indian territory along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
About 10 months after the LAC standoff began, the two sides have started pulling back. China announced the disengagement process on Wednesday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament on Thursday saying the Chinese troops would pull back at a position near Finger 8 and the Indian side would be stationed at a post near Finger 3 area of the Pangong Tso.
The north and south banks of Pangong Tso are key focal points in the disengagement process as the military standoff began here after the Chinese side transgressed 8 km west of Finger 8. This is the point that India considers as the LAC. Chinese troops blocked India’s patrolling at Finger 4. They are to pull back under the disengagement agreement.
Besides the Pangong Tso, Indian and Chinese forces are in eyeball-to-eyeball positions in the areas of Hot Springs, Gogra Post, Galwan Valley and the Depsang Plains. Depsang Plains is strategically significant for India as it is close to Daulat Beg Oldie, an Indian base near the Karakoram Pass. Disengagement talks for these areas are to take place in coming weeks.
