LADAKH, India – At least 20 Indian soldiers have died at Galwan Valley, in Ladakh, in a face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers, according to government sources. Chinese forces also suffered casualties, ANI reports. It’s the first loss of life in at least 45 years and comes after weeks of tension between the two sides.

This is the worst flare-up on the “Line of Actual Control” in more than 50 years.

Also reporting that Indian intercepts reveal that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in face-off in the Galwan valley.

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. Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation: Indian Army (2/2) https://t.co/5duc0Jlfwb

— ANI (@ANI) June 16, 2020

Long-running Border Dispute

The question of sovereignty over two relatively large and several other smaller separated pieces of territory has been hotly contested between India and China, and is largely a legacy issue left over from Britain’s haphazard colonial map-making exploits of the mid 20th century.

The Indian Express reports…

In certain areas on the border, India and China have different “perceptions” of the Line of Actual Control (LAC):

– Both the armies try and patrol up to their LAC, often resulting in face-offs.
– Tensions have been running high on the border since reports of a scuffle between the soldiers at Pangong Tso (eastern Ladakh) and Naku la (in Sikkim) a few months back.
– Both the armies have since deployed a large number of soldiers and heavy military equipment along the LAC.

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