【シンガポール＝森浩】インド北部カシミール地方の係争地で中国軍とインド軍が衝突した問題で、インド陸軍は１６日夜、インド側の死者が２０人に達したと発表した。インドメディアは、中国側の死傷者も数十人に上ると報じた。
インド陸軍によると、衝突は１５日夜に発生し、数時間続いたという。現地はヒマラヤ山脈の一角の高地で、新たに死亡が確認された１７人は衝突で重傷を負った後、氷点下の気温にさらされたことで死に至った。双方が棒や石によって攻撃し合い、銃器は使用されなかったという。
インド外務省は１６日夜の声明で、５月５日から始まった両軍の対峙（たいじ）の解消に向けた話し合いが行われていたが、「中国側が一方的に現状を変えようとした結果、激しい衝突が起こった」と非難した。中国は、インド側が２度にわたり越境してきたため衝突が発生したと説明している。
Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.
The Army initially said on Tuesday that an officer and two soldiers were killed. But in a late evening statement, it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others who “were critically injured in the line of duty and exposed to sub-zero temperatures at the standoff location succumbed to their injuries.”
Government sources said the Chinese side too suffered “proportionate casualties” but chose not to speculate on the number. An ANI source has speculated that at least 43 Chinese soldiers have been seriously injured or killed in the clash.
INDIA LOSES 20 SOLDIERS
Indian Army confirmed that 20 men have died in the clash at Galwan Valley, however, identities of only 3 personnel have been made public till now.
Initially claiming that three men had died in the clash, later the Army said, “17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the standoff location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20.”
The officer killed in the clash was identified as Colonel Santosh Babu, Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment, and a native of Telangana.
The other soldiers identified were Havaldar K Palani and Sepoy Kundan Ojha from Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand respectively.
India’s army says 20 of its soldiers have been killed in clashes with Chinese troops at a disputed border site in the western Himalayas, in a major escalation of a weeks-long stand-off between the two Asian giants.
China’s foreign ministry confirmed there had been a “violent physical confrontation”, but made no mention of casualties. India’s foreign ministry said there had been casualties on both sides.
An Indian government source said the troops fought with iron rods and stones, but that no shots were fired.
The clashes happened in Ladakh, along a contested border between India and China.
The Indian army initially issued a statement saying three Indian soldiers had died, but later updated the number to 20 and said 17 “were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain”.
“They attacked with iron rods, the commanding officer was grievously injured and fell, and when that happened, more soldiers swarmed to the area and attacked with stones,” said the Indian government source, who had been briefed on the matter.
The two sides had been discussing ways to de-escalate but at some point the People’s Liberation Army turned on a group of Indian soldiers, the source said. The Chinese side brought in reinforcements and the brawl went on for a couple of hours.
“Both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side,” Indian foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement.
The first statement from the Indian army had said that: “During the de-escalation process under way in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place [last] night with casualties on both sides.”