20 Indian Army soldiers, including a Colonel, were killed in the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley on Monday night. According to News18, this is the “biggest military confrontation” to have taken place in the past 5 decades and has “escalated the already volatile” border standoff. On the other end, 43 Chinese soldiers have been injured in the clash, reports HT.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that it was the Indian troops that provoked the violence. However, our External Affairs Ministry claim that face-off was the result of an “attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo in the region” (Galwan Valley).
The entire conflict revolves around sovereignty over the Galwan Valley which, for India, was always seen as the area where the ‘Line of Actual Control’ (LAC) lay and remained undisputed, reports The Wire.
The Indian and the Chinese troops have now disengaged in the area.
Tributes have started pouring in for Indian soldiers from across the country. Many are extending their condolences to the lives of those that were lost and are saluting the brave-hearts.
Salute to our REAL HEROES who laid their lives protecting and honouring our border. May god give their families utmost strength #GalwanValley
— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) June 17, 2020
Salute every soldier who laid down his life protecting India’s border & honour. Jai Jawan, Jai Bharat 🙏RIP Brave Hearts 🙏🙏
My thoughts are with your families during this hour.#GalwanValley #IndianArmy— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) June 17, 2020
A big salute to our Indian soldiers who were martyred at #GalwanValley Om shanti 🙏🏻 my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
— Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal) June 17, 2020
Deeply disturbed and saddened to learn that our soldiers were martyred at #GalwanValley. Your sacrifice for the nation will forever be etched in our hearts. We salute your bravery and patriotism. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Jai Hind
— Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) June 17, 2020
I am speechless over martyrdom of the brave soliders in Ladakh. Pray for the officers and jawans who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty while protecting the nation. My sincere condolences to the bereaved families. #IndianArmy #GalwanValley
— Sai Dharam Tej (@IamSaiDharamTej) June 17, 2020
#Telangana: People and leaders pay tributes to martyred Army officer Col Bikkumalla Santhosh Babu who made supreme sacrifice for the country during violent face-off with Chinese troops at #GalwanValley in #Ladakh. pic.twitter.com/VWMkigmAPX
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) June 17, 2020
I salute the Indian army 🇮🇳💪..I salute the Indian soldiers who were martyred at #GalwanValley ..My heart goes out to the families of these brave soldiers..🙏 #JaiHind @IndINDIANARMY pic.twitter.com/L31a3YGlcS
— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) June 16, 2020
I salute the courage of our Indian soldiers who have been martyred at #GalwanValley
All these atrocities must stop and hope we can have a peaceful world where human life is valued.
My thoughts are with the bereaved families, I pray for their strength 🙏🏻
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 16, 2020
We will always be indebted to our jawans of #IndianArmy who lost their lives in #GalwanValley #JaiHind
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 16, 2020
It is saddening to see that 20 soldiers have been martyred at the LAC. Let us pray for their bereaved families. #Ladakhborder #GalwanValley
— Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (@SriSri) June 16, 2020
Heartbroken about the death of our brave soldiers. #GalwanValley. Our defence stands it’s ground. We are forever indebted to the sacrifice of our brave soldiers. #jaihind
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) June 16, 2020
A huge loss to see our 20 soldiers martyred in #GalwanValley. A pandemic, cyclones, locusts attack, an economic slowdown cross-border terrorism by Pakistan, cartographic aggression by Nepal and now #IndiaChinaFaceOff. Bharata must be united now at such testing times.
Om Shanti! pic.twitter.com/8RXWiLRY4R
— Pranitha Subhash (@pranitasubhash) June 16, 2020
Salute the valour and courage of
our Brave soldiers.. #IndianArmy #GalwanValley #IndiaChinaFaceOff
A small tribute!
An ode to the brave-hearts! 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/fSl3a77N3l— chandanabardia (@chandanas) June 17, 2020
#GalwanValley you are our true heroes. Strentgh to their families. Ok 2020 you may end now..enough is enough
— Lakshmi Manchu (@LakshmiManchu) June 17, 2020
We are safe in house because of their sacrifices .
I join the nation in saluting the supreme sacrifices of our bravehearts. Jai hind 🇮🇳 #IndiaChinaFaceOff #IndianArmy #GalwanValley pic.twitter.com/57AG2W8xM3
— Vivek Raj (@VivekRa37653402) June 16, 2020
#SaluteIndianArmy Salute to all the brave hearts who sacrificed their life for our country, our flag does not fly because of the wind, it flies with the last breathe of each of our brave soldier who died protecting it 🙏🏻 Jai Hind #GalwanValley #IndiaChinaFaceOff @adgpi
— Tinku Baghel (@baghel_tinku) June 17, 2020
Our prayers are with the families of our nation’s heroes who have lost their lives. May they have the strength to go through this tough time.