Indian and Chinese troops and tanks disengaging from the banks of Pangong lake area in Eastern Ladakh on Feb 11
At least 45 Chinese soldiers were killed during the violent faceoff with Indian soldiers at Galwan valley in eastern Ladakh in June last news, media reports said citing Russian news agency TASS. It said that after June 15, 2020 clash, the two Asian giants increased the concentration of forces in the region. Each side deployed as many as 50,000 troops.
The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry even as the two sides continued military and diplomatic talks.
Both sides had rushed a large number of battle tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy equipment to the treacherous and high-altitude areas of eastern Ladakh region after tension escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June last year. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the fierce hand-to-hand combat on June 15 in Galwan Valley.
“Chinese and Indian forces clashed in the region in May and June 2020, resulting in at least 20 Indian and 45 Chinese servicemen dead,” TASS in its report said.
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The incident marked the most serious military conflicts between the two sides in decades. China didn't disclose the number of its soldiers killed and injured in the clash. Earlier reports suggested that China lost around 35 soldiers.
Meanwhile, the two countries have agreed for disengagement in eastern Ladakh. According to a statement made by Defence minister Rajnath Singh in the Parliament, India and China have agreed for disengagement in the North and South bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.
The implementation of disengagement agreement, he said, started Wednesday in North and South Bank of Pangong lake.
The two sides held several rounds of military and diplomatic-level talks to resolve the face-off.
READ MORE: Indian, Chinese troops and tanks start disengaging in Ladakh | Watch
