On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops clashed violentl<\/a>y in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, triggering the deadliest confrontation between the two sides in more than four decades.<\/p>\n Tensions had been simmering for weeks.<\/a> Since early May, both armies had surged troops to multiple friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including in the Galwan Valley. These areas are not formally demarcated and are instead governed by patrol limits that both sides interpret differently.<\/p>\n STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD<\/p>\n By early June, India had objected to Chinese troops setting up temporary structures near Patrol Point 14 (PP14), an area both sides regularly patrol and use for face-to-face meetings. On June 6, local commanders from both sides agreed to disengage and pull back troops from the area. China dismantled one tent, and both sides agreed to withdraw around two kilometres.<\/p>\n However, days later, Indian troops discovered that Chinese soldiers had returned and erected new tents, including one positioned on elevated ground overlooking the valley. On the evening of June 15, a team led by Colonel Bikkumalla What followed was a violent confrontation. According to Indian accounts, when the Indian patrol attempted to remove the newly erected structure, Chinese troops confronted them. A scuffle broke out, quickly escalating into a brutal hand-to-hand fight using stones, rods and makeshift weapons wrapped with barbed wire.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was treachery by the Chinese. The attack on the Indian team was planned. The CO had gone there with his men in good faith because talks were held in a positive atmosphere during the day,\u201d a source said at the time. The two sides fought each other viciously for several hours, resulting in casualties for both sides. There were reports that India lost 20 troops and that around 40 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured in the melee.<\/p>\n
\nSantosh Babu went to verify whether the disengagement had been completed.<\/a><\/p>\nIndia acknowledged the loss of 20 troops in the Galwan Valley clash. Representational image.<\/b><\/p>\n