LAC standoff: 3 soldiers killed in clash on Chinese border, says India

New Delhi: Three Indian soldiers have been killed in a clash on the Chinese border, the Indian army said Tuesday, following weeks of rising tensions and the deployment of thousands of extra troops from both sides.

"A violent face-off took place yesterday (Monday) night with casualties. The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers," an Indian army spokesman said in a statement.

Meanwhile, India and China held military talks at the brigade commander and commanding officer levels in Galwan and Hot Springs Monday to resolve the 40-day standoff in Ladakh.

There have been continuous talks between the two armies at different levels for the last 10 days. Monday’s talks were on de-escalation in the Galwan and Hot Springs area, which is ongoing. But the main bone of contention remains the northern bank of Pangong Tso lake, where Chinese troops pitched tents at Finger 4 area and are blocking Indian Army patrols till Finger 8.

There have been five rounds of major general-level talks. These, and the brigade-level talks, are a followup of the talks Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, 14 Corps chief, had with his Chinese counterpart on June 6. The high-level military talks may be held again in a few days.