Senior army officers likely to reach Cold desert to be party of hectic parleys, primary focus on defusing crisis, Defence Officials say no solider held captive by Chinese army
Tasaduq Hussain
Srinagar : In a bid to break the ice and diffuse the crisis between Indian and Chinese army in Ladakh, the round-two of the de-escalation exercise will continue for the second day tomorrow while senior army officers are expected to be part of the fresh parleys aimed at defusing the crisis. The round two of talks will start amid reports of more causalities on the Indian side even though there was no official confirmation to that.
Highly placed sources told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that no major breakthrough was achieved in today’s meeting between the army officials of India and China even though both sides agreed to de-escalate the tensions brewing up between the two sides for some time now. “There are reports pouring in from Ladakh that China has betrayed the de-escalation process and there are more causalities on the Indian side. Reports are coming that at least seven to ten casualties or more are from the Indian side,” sources said. However, official confirmation about fresh causalities was still awaited and may come tomorrow.
“Talks will continue tomorrow as well. There is every likelihood that more senior army officers may take part in the parleys in Ladakh tomorrow. There can be a breakthrough tomorrow,” a defence official told KNO over phone from New Delhi.
Asked about the reports in media that many soldiers were held captive by the Chinese army, he termed the reports baseless and stated that all the soldiers are safe. “Let’s wait till tomorrow,” he said.
Pertinently, earlier in the day, the army said that one of its officers of a Colonel rank and two soldiers were killed in a violent face-off last night between the armies of India and China at Galwan valley in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Officials had told KNO that during the de-escalation process underway at Galwan valley, both India and China suffered casualties amid a violent face-off. The defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia had said that, “During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties on both sides. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers”.
Colonel Kalia had also said that senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation— (KNO)
