BORDER CLASH: 20 Indian soldiers killed in violent face-off with Chinese forces

The Indian army has confirmed that 20 of its soldiers were killed by Chinese forces in a violent face-off on the disputed border area of the western Himalayas.

In a statement, the army said on Tuesday that 17 “critically injured” Indian troops succumbed to their wounds, in addition to an officer and two soldiers who had died earlier.

The troops died “in the line of duty at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain … taking the total that were killed in action to 20”, the statement said.

Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged in the areas where the clashes took place, the statement said, adding that India is firmly committed to “protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation”.

Reports say the incident follows rising tensions between the two Asian powers and also marks the deadliest clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in decades.