https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/at-least-20-dead-in-shootout-betw...The escalating border conflict between China and India has edged closer to war.
Early Tuesday morning, the two powers exchanged gunfire in a disputed Himalayan border region, leaving 20 Indian soldiers dead and reportedly killing or wounding at least 43 Chinese troops.
Officials say it is the first time in 45 years that the long-running border fight between the two nuclear powers has led to fatalities, leading diplomatic observers to warn that both nations must act quickly to stop the dispute spiralling out of control.
Members of the non-governmental organisation Madadgaar Parivar protest against the killing of Indian soldiers by Chinese troops, in Ahmedabad on June 16. Picture: AFP
Members of the non-governmental organisation Madadgaar Parivar protest against the killing of Indian soldiers by Chinese troops, in Ahmedabad on June 16. Picture: AFP
At the heart of the dispute is the mountainous and poorly marked border region between the two nations.
India believes that China has been illegally occupying territory on its side of the Line of Actual Control, or LAC. In May, China made a further push into what India says is it’s territory, sending at least 5,000 troops to dig in along the Pangong Tso lake which takes in one of China’s strategic approaches into India.
According to a spokesman for the Indian army three soldiers were initially killed but “17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty (taking) total that were killed in action to 20”.
Meanwhile, in keeping with its pattern of aggressive actions followed by heartfelt claims that Beijing is the victim, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian claimed that it was in fact India was the aggressor, “provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides”.
India denied any such claims, with the Army stating that “India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side.”
While Beijing has not released any of its own casualty figures from the incident, India TV News reports that intercepts from Chinese intelligence suggest China suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.
In 1962, the two nations fought the Sino-Indian War over the disputed territory, resulting in an Indian defeat, though not a final resolution of the issue between the two nations.
In 1975, the last time the border conflict led to fatalities, an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in the Arunachal Pradesh region.
In response to the conflict, a spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged both sides to undertake “maximum restraint” to “de-escalate the situation”.
why is it not declared a no go zone to all.?