Galwan clash: China dismisses reports on losing 40 soldiers in Ladakh

Beijing, June 23: China on Tuesday dismissed reports claiming that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had suffered at least 40 casualties in the bruising brawl with Indian soldiers in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on June 15.

Breaking its silence over its casualties in the June 15 clash, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, “China and India are in dialogue and talks with each other to resolve this issue through diplomatic and military channels”. “As for what you saw in the media, for example some people alleged that casualties on the Chinese amounted to 40. I can tell you for sure this is fake news,” he said, without giving any further details.

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This is the first time China has commented on the casualties. Though China has not revealed its casualty figure, there were reports that a commanding officer of the Chinese army was among those killed in the clashes.

Ever since the clash on June 15 at the Galwan Valley between the Indian and Chinese troops, Beijing has consistently declined to reveal the details of the casualties on its side, while the official media editorials have said that China too suffered casualties.

20 Indian personnel, including a colonel, were killed on Monday night in the biggest ever military confrontation between the two armies in over five decades.