Galwan face-off: No Indian soldier is missing in action, says Army

The Indian Army on Thursday clarified that no Indian soldier is missing in action after the violent clash with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of Ladakh on the intervening night of June 15-16.

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

The US daily had reported that a few Indian soldiers were missing in action after the conflict.

The Indian Army on Tuesday said 20 soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in a violent clash with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley on Monday night, in the biggest military confrontation between the two armies in over five decades. According to unconfirmed reports, the Chinese side, too, suffered over 40 casualties.

The Major Generals of the two armies met for the second time on Thursday to diffuse the tension after their first round of talks on Wednesday remained inconclusive.

A large number of Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in Galwan Valley and certain other areas of eastern Ladakh for last five weeks.

The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.

A sizeable number of Chinese Army personnel even transgressed into the Indian side of the de-facto border in several areas including Pangong Tso.

The Indian Army has been fiercely objecting to the Chinese transgressions, and demanded their immediate withdrawal for restoration of peace and tranquility in the area.

Both sides held a series of talks in the last few days to resolve the row.  On Saturday, Gen Naravane said both sides are "disengaging" in a phased manner.

Following the standoff in eastern Ladakh, the two sides have deployed additional troops along the LAC, the de-facto Sino-India border, in North Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh in the last few days.