A historic clash between Chinese and Indian forces in a disputed border region left three Indian soldiers dead, according to army officials in New Delhi.
“A violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties,” the Indian army said Tuesday. “The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation.”
Those deaths, which represent the first Indian military deaths at Chinese military hands since 1975, come after weeks of the nations fortifying their positions along both sides of an unofficial boundary line along the Sino-Indian border. Chinese forces reportedly lost five soldiers in the overnight incident, but the Chinese officials didn’t confirm this in a statement they released.
“Indian troops seriously violated our consensus and twice crossed the border line for illegal activities and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel, which led to serious physical conflict between the two sides,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters.
Chinese state-run media struck a bellicose note. “I want to tell the Indian side, don’t be arrogant and misread China’s restraint as being weak,” Global Times Editor Hu Xijin tweeted. “China doesn’t want to have a clash with India, but we don’t fear it.”
The deadly fighting didn’t involve firing weapons, according to Indian military leakers. “There was no firing,” an army officer told AFP. “No firearms were used. It was violent hand-to-hand scuffles.”
