An entire Indian Army's Company was trapped

New Delhi: Around 120 Indian soldiers, almost an entire company, was trapped and encircled by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and followed by savage and deceptive attacks, many to a point of mutilation, on Monday night, sources said.

Pointing firearms on their faces, the Chinese PLA brutally tortured some Indian soldiers to death, sources further revealed, adding that the Indian soldiers were helpless with the government directions of not to use firearms. It was not a hand-to-hand fight between the forces, as IANS has learnt and the PLA troopers used all kinds of weapons against the Indian soldiers, who bravely fought and tried to control the situation.

Sources said the Indian Army troopers were outnumbered by 1:5 ratio when they came under attack from the Chinese People's Liberation Army soldiers at the patrolling point number 14 in Ladakh on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

China's PLA troopers "savagely attacked" Indian Army personnel, according to sources in the government with knowledge of the details of the Monday night clashes between the two army soldiers.

"The numbers were stacked up against the Indian Army troopers. Yet, the Indian side decided to fight the PLA troopers. The Indian soldiers were outnumbered 1:5 by the Chinese troopers," the sources said on Wednesday.

China is also said to have used thermal imaging drones to trace the Indian Army soldiers scattered on the treacherous terrain before brutally attacking them.

"It was the deadliest attack carried on the Indian Army personnel by the Chinese military personnel to our memory," the government sources said. China said that it has always "maintained sovereignty over the Galwan Valley region".

Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the PLA, made a statement late on Tuesday over the clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley area, Xinhua reported.

The sovereignty over the Galwan Valley area has always belonged to China, Shuili said in the statement.

He pointed out that "the Indian border troops reneged on their commitments, seriously violated agreements and protocols between the two countries on border issues and the consensus reached at the commander-level talks between the two militaries, and severely undermined the Sino-Indian military relations and the feelings of the two peoples".

The Chinese Army suffered 35 casualties during the violent clash with the Indian military in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley, official sources said quoting US intelligence reports. The figure could be a combination of total number of soldiers killed and seriously wounded, they added.

Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi said: "Today when there's anger in the country regarding this incident, the PM should come forward and tell the truth to the country that how did China occupy our land and why did our 20 soldiers lose their lives? What is the situation there today?

"The martyrdom of our soldiers on the Border has shaken up the entire country's inner conscience. I offer my deepest condolences to these brave martyrs and pray that families can bear the loss.

"Are our soldiers/officers still missing? How many of our soldiers/officers are critically injured? What areas have been occupied by China? What is the policy of govt to deal with this? Congress stands with our Army, soldiers, their families and govt in this crisis."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi again questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'silence' on the India-China stand-off in Galwan Valley in Ladakh and said the nation needs to know what exactly was happening there.

"Why is the PM silent? Why is he hiding? Enough is enough. We need to know what has happened. How dare China kill our soldiers? How dare they take our land?" Rahul tweeted.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut: "We can't hold Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi responsible for whatever happened at the border. We all are responsible for martyrdom of 20 jawans. All parties will support whatever decision PM takes but he should tell people what went wrong."

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the loss of soldiers in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh at the Line of Actual Control was "deeply disturbing and painful."

He said that Indian soldiers displayed exemplary courage and valour in the line of duty and sacrificed their lives in the highest traditions of the Indian Army.

"The Nation will never forget their bravery and sacrifice. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen soldiers," the Union Defence Minister said.

Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has slammed the government, saying India deserved a leadership that is willing to do anything before allowing its land to be taken.

"Our land, our sovereignty is being threatened, our soldiers and officers have been martyred, are we just going to remain silent? India deserves the truth. It deserves a leadership that is willing to do anything before allowing its land to be taken," Priyanka Gandhi said in a series of tweets.

"Show up Narendra Modiji, it's time to stand up to China," the Congress in-charge for eastern Uttar Pradesh said.

China said that it does not wish to see "more clashes" with India.

"From the Chinese side, we do not wish to see more clashes," said Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson on Galwan valley clash, which caused causalities on both sides. "We are having communication through diplomatic and military channels. The right and wrong of this is very clear... The incident happened on the Chinese side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) and China is not to blame for it," Lijian added.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is concerned about the clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh and asked the two nations to exercise restraint, a spokesperson said .