20 soldiers including a Colonel have been killed in the line of duty in Ladakh
Highlights
- Major Generals of India, China held talks in Ladakh's Galwan Valley
- Talks were inconclusive due to no change in ground, sources to NDTV
- The Valley is the site of a huge clash on Monday between India, China
Talks between Major Generals of India and China in Galwan Valley in Ladakh, the site of a huge clash on Monday in which 20 soldiers were killed, were inconclusive, army sources said on Wednesday.
"The talks have remained inconclusive as there is no immediate disengagement or change in the ground," sources told NDTV. "More talks to take place in the coming days," they added.
In a clash involving hundreds of troops from both sides, Indian soldiers were attacked with iron rods, clubs studded with nails and stones wrapped with barbed wire. They were even thrown off the ridge into the freezing Galwan river.
Earlier on Wednesday, India delivered a strong message to China and said the "unprecedented" incident in Galwan Valley will have a "serious impact" on the bilateral relationship. Chinese soldiers took "pre-meditated and planned action" that was directly responsible for the clash, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told his China counterpart Wang Yi on the phone, the highest interaction between the countries since the massive escalation in border hostilities.
Both ministers agreed that "neither side would take any action to escalate matters and instead, ensure peace and tranquility as per bilateral agreements and protocols."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said the two sides agreed to "cool down the situation on the ground as soon as possible", and maintain peace and tranquility according to the agreement reached so far between the two countries.
India's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "As we have conveyed earlier today (Wednesday), External Affairs Minister and the State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China had a phone conversation on recent developments in Ladakh. Both sides have agreed that the overall situation should be handled in a responsible manner and that the understandings reached between Senior Commanders on June 6 should be implemented sincerely. Making exaggerated and untenable claims is contrary to this understanding."
The standoff between the two armies began in eastern Ladakh on May 5 following a physical fight in the Pangong lake area.
What led to the flare-up was China's objection to India building a key road in the area. The incident at Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in north Sikkim on May 9.