Fresh clashes erupted between the troops of China and India in the Chushul Valley of Eastern Ladakh overnight on 29-30 August; the countries have accused each other of a transgression into their side of the Line of Actual Control. Earlier, a mid-June clash in Galwan Valley had left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
A Tibetan soldier in the Indian Army’s Special Frontier Force (SFF) has reportedly been killed; Chinese troops allegedly shot him in the neck during a patrol duty on Saturday night, as per a report on the website Tibet Sun. However, the Indian Army has not confirmed the report.
Both the soldiers are from 7 VIKAS, one of the seven SFF battalions which have been moved to Ladakh and deployed against the Chinese. The SFF is an elite paratroop unit manned by volunteers from the 120,000-strong Tibetan refugee community in India.
The conflict between Tibetans and Chinese dates back to the 1960s, when Beijing claimed Tibet to be part of its territory, resulting in a mass exodus from the region. Ever since, the Tibetans have been living in India under exile along with the spiritual leader Dalai Lama and are recruited in the Indian Army.
The Central Tibetan Administration in India’s Dharamshala has repeatedly condemned Chinese actions and recent policy announced by Xi Jinping. They had even offered to recruit more Tibetans to fight against the Chinese.
India and China have been in a border stand-off since the last week of April. The troops from both sides have indulged in scuffles and physical altercations since then; the 15 June clash turned violent, killing 20 Indian soldiers.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
