The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theatre Command spokesperson has accused India of crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley region and purposefully launching provocative attacks, leading to severe clashes and casualties, according to China's Global Times.
The Indian Army said in a statement earlier in the day that one officer and two soldiers from India were killed during clashes on the border with China in the Ladakh region and the two countries' senior military officials were holding talks to defuse the situation.
"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of both sides are meeting in the Galwan Valley to diffuse the situation”, the Indian Army said in a statement.
India and China increased their military presence in Ladakh after new clashes between border guards in May.
These are the first combat fatalities along the Line of Actual Control since 1975. In 1975, four Indian soldiers on patrol were killed by Chinese forces at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.
Following reports of clashes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian lodged a protest with India and made representations accusing the Indian military of crossing the border at the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh area and provoking clashes by attacking Chinese forces.
"China lodged a protest and made representations with the Indian side. We again officially urge India to follow our consensus," Zhao said at a briefing.
At the same time, the senior official did not reference any fatalities despite India's claims.
A source in the Indian Defense Ministry has told Sputnik that Beijing asked for a meeting following the Chinese-Indian altercation, adding that the Chinese side has also suffered casualties.
"There are 3 to 4 casualties on the Chinese side. After the altercation the Chinese side asked for meeting in the Ladakh sector this morning to defuse tensions and talks have been going on since 7:30 a.m.”, the source said.
Commenting on the incident, spokesperson for the Indian Ministry of External Affairs Anurag Srivastava stated that the two sides have been discussing through military and diplomatic channels a de-escalation of the situation in the border area in eastern Ladakh.
"Senior Commanders had a productive meeting on 6th June 2020 and agreed on a process for such de-escalation. Subsequently, ground commanders had a series of meetings to implement the consensus reached at a higher level. While it was our expectation that this would unfold smoothly, the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley. Given its responsible approach to border management, 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", the official said.
India and China share a border from Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast to Sikkim in the centre and Ladakh in the northern region. While it is mainly a land border in most regions, in Pangong Tso it passes through water.
India controls the 45-km long lake in the western portion, while the rest is under Chinese control. Most of the clashes between the Indian and Chinese armies have taken place near the disputed portion of the lake.