Army officer, 2 jawans killed in face-off with Chinese troops

The face-off took place during efforts to de-escalate the prevailing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh

New Delhi: According to reports, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed on Monday night. In the incident, a colonel-rank officer and two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed.

The violent face-off between Indian and Chinese military took place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region amid the heightened tensions over the border dispute between the two countries.

"During de-escalation process in Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place last night with casualties. The loss of lives on Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation," an Indian Army spokesperson said.

The incident comes days after Indian Army Chief Gen MM Naravane said both sides have begun disengaging from Galwan Valley.

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a bitter standoff in several areas along the Line of Actual Control in mountainous eastern Ladakh for over five weeks.

Both the countries are holding talks at military and diplomatic levels to resolve the dispute.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

(With agency inputs)