People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops reportedly hunted down Indian forces in Galwan valley for a ‘savage execution spree’ according to reports of, Indian news outlet, News 18.
According to reports, a hand-to-hand fighting between the Chinese and Indian troops lasted for over approximately eight hours, across the Galwan river valley on Monday evening. It was reported by News 18 that the the People’s Liberation Army troops assaulted the Indian troops with ‘iron rods as well as batons wrapped in barbed wire’. They reportedly hunted down the Indian army troops and slaughtered the 16 Bihar Regiment, as confirmed by a senior government official familiar with the debriefing of the survivors, according to reports of News 18.
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It is to be noted that the ‘savage execution’ combat resulted in the deaths of almost twenty-three Indian soldiers including the commanding officer of the regiment, Colonel Santosh Babu. It was reported by News 18 that unarmed men also fell victim to the Chinese forces as they attempted to escape the area.
It has been reported that approximately two dozen soldiers are combating life-threatening injuries while a hundred and ten others are in need of treatment. According to Indian government sources, the toll is expected to rise in the coming days.
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As reported by the Indian news network, News 18, the conflict had broken out following the dismantlement of Chinese tent by the regiment commanded over by Indian Colonel Babu, at a position referred to as Patrol Point 14, situated near the Galwan river. According to reports, the tent had been dismantled following a meeting between Lieutenant General Harinder Singh of the Indian forces and Major-General Lin Liu of the Chinese forces. As reported by Indian sources, the PLA troops refused to vacate Point 14 which led to the tent being burned down.
Moreover, as per reports, the PLA have alleged that the Indian troops crossed the buffer zone separating the two sides and violated the bordre-management protocols, which mandates that a white flag and banner be used to signal the other side to turn back from the territory it is on.
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It is pertinent to note that News 18 has reported the Indian losses to be the worst since the Kargil war against Pakistan in 1999, and the most intense between China and India since 1967.
It is to be noted that so far no official statement has been issued by authorities in Beijing pertaining to the number of casualties suffered by the PLA troops in the combat. However, Indian sources have suggested that over forty PLA soldiers have been killed and/or injured during the conflict. In addition to this, no explanations have been offered as to why the PLA tent had been pitched at Point 14 after agreement of a withdrawal, according to sources.
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Experts have suggested that the conflict along the LAC is driven by China’s concerns that India’s development of ‘logistical infrastructure’ could lead to an occupation of contested territories.
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