Guwahati: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed that no Indian soldier was killed or seriously injured during the India-China border incident on December 9 in the Tawang area of Arunachal Pradesh.
This was stated by Rajnath Singh during his speech to the Lok Sabha on Tuesday regarding the recent fighting along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Defence Minister said, “On December 9, PLA troops encroached upon and attempted to change status quo at the Yangtse area of Tawang sector. This attempt was tackled by our troops in a determined manner. Our troops bravely stopped the PLA from encroaching upon our territory and forced them to go back to their post.”
“In this face-off, few soldiers on both sides suffered injuries. I’d like to tell this House that none of our soldiers died or suffered any serious injury. Due to the timely intervention of Indian military commanders, PLA soldiers have retreated to their own locations,” Singh further said.
He also told the house that after the conflict, the Indian commander in the region met with his counterpart to discuss the situation in accordance with formal procedures to bring about peace and calm.
He said, “After this incident, on December 11, the local commander of the area held a flag meeting with his Chinese counterpart under the established system and discussed this incident. The Chinese side refused all such actions and told to maintain peace at the border.”
The defence minister also mentioned that the issue has been raised with China through diplomatic channels. He gave the House additional assurances that Indian forces are dedicated to protecting the borders.
Notably, Rajnath Singh met at a high level to examine the security situation before the session with the Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the Army Chief General Manoj Pande, and other senior officials.
Opposition leaders staged a walkout of the Lok Sabha immediately following Rajnath Singh’s speech.