A violent face-off which took place at nearly 15,000 feet near the freezing Galwan River, soldiers were attacked with iron rods and nail-studded clubs. There was no gunfire in keeping with long-standing rules of engagement, NDTV reported.
The army said last night, 20 Indian soldiers were killed, many of whom, it said died of injuries and were “exposed to sub-zero temperatures.”
NDTV reported that many of those killed appear to have been punched or shoved off a ridge onto rocks and into the icy river. The Postmortem examinations on those killed showed that the “primary reason for death is drowning.
Some of the soldiers are in critical condition now but said the army alone is authorized to comment on the matter.
Military experts say one reason for the face-off building up to its deadly climax on Monday is that India has been building new state-of-the-art facilities to improve connectivity and narrow the gap with China’s superior infrastructure.