Four “martyrs”, who sacrificed their lives for having “defended the national sovereignty and territorial integrity” of China: by revealing, on Friday, February 19, the decorations granted to five Chinese soldiers and officers, four of whom were posthumous, the daily People’s Liberation Army (PLA) communicated the number of Chinese victims of the spring 2020 clashes between India and China. Occurred on the night of June 15 and 16 in the Karakoram range around the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the unofficial demarcation between the two countries in these disputed areas of Ladakh (Indian side) and Aksai Chin (Chinese side), these clashes had pitted Chinese and Indian soldiers against iron bars and other non-lethal weapons – firearms being banned according to a protocol dating back several decades.

A series of skirmishes

The death toll was twenty on the Indian side and several victims remained secret on the Chinese side, but that Indian officials had estimated at several dozen. Several Indian prisoners were subsequently released by China. Article reserved for our subscribers Read also Unarmed fights, falls, drownings, how India and China clashed in the Himalayas, at an altitude of 4,200 meters This incident in the valley of the Galway River was the first and remains to this day the only one, to result in deaths since 1975. It had taken place after a series of skirmishes since April between the troops of the two countries at various places of the demarcation line.

New Delhi had accused Chinese troops of having entered the Indian region of Ladakh, where the Indians are building a border road that the Chinese greatly displease, and denounced “planned and premeditated action” by the Chinese military. Beijing’s account of the actions of its “heroes” is quite different. Sent under the leadership of Regimental Commander Qi Fabio to “negotiate with Indian troops” following a new incident, they suddenly found themselves facing “a large number of Indian soldiers emerging from the mountains.” “The Indian military then attacked the Chinese soldiers with steel tubes, clubs, and stones Qi is seriously injured in the head. Three of his men came to his aid, then Chinese reinforcements arrived in large numbers. “They are fighting bravely, inflicting total defeat on Indian troops – many of whom run away, leaving many wounded and dead,” the PLA daily continues.