Day after the release of 10 Indian soldiers from its custody, China on Friday claimed that it has not seized any Indian personnel following the unprecedented face-of between the troops of both the sides at Galwan valley.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the claim during a press briefing in response to a question about the China-India border situation, the country’s news channel CGTN informed.

Advertisement

The soldiers, including four officers, were taken captive after the violent face-off at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Monday evening which had left 20 Indian soldiers dead.

After prolonged negotiations between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the major general level, the latter released the detained Indian soldiers from its custody on Thursday.

This comes after the Indian Army on Thursday clarified that all Indian soldiers involved in clash with Chinese troops at Galwan valley in Ladakh are accounted for.

With reference to the article ‘In China-India Clash, Two Nationalist Leaders with Little Room to Give’ by New York Times dated 17 June 2020, the Army clarified that there are no Indian troops missing in action.

Further, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that regarding the serious situation in Galwan valley, the “right and wrong is very clear and the responsibility entirely lies with the Indian side.”

Asked on on calls to boycott Chinese products in India, he said that New Delhi and Beijing are in talks to ease the situation.

An unprecedented violent clash took place in Galwan Valley at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh with Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers attacking a small group of Indian Army men on patrol, resulting in fatalities which included the commanding officer of the Indian Army.

As many as 20 Indian Armymen including officers were killed in the face-off while the the Chinese side is learnt to have suffered over 40 casualties including dead and seriously injured.

According to an AFP report, the soldiers were not shot but were killed in hand-to-hand combat on Indian territory. The soldiers threw punches and stones at each other and the Chinese troops allegedly used rods and nail-studded clubs during the fight that lasted for hours until midnight on Monday.

As per reports, around 120 Indian soldiers were trapped and encircled by Chinese troops and thereafter savagely beaten, many to the point of mutilation, on Monday night.

Pointing firearms at them, Chinese troops brutally tortured Indian soldiers to death, sources said. Many Indian soldiers were helpless with the Indian government’s direction not to use firearms, sources said. It was not a hand-to-hand fight between the forces, said sources, adding that PLA troops completely overran the Indian soldiers, who started losing their lives as they bravely fought against superior numbers.

Sources quoted by IANS said Indian Army troops were outnumbered five times when they came under attack from the Chinese soldiers at patrolling point number 14 on the LAC.

China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them.