One officer and two soliders were martyred in a violent face off with the Chinese army late yesterday night at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

As per reports, this incident comes as both sides are meeting to defuse the tension that is escalating over the borders. An official statement from the Indian Army said that both sides are meeting currently to de-escalate the recurring altercations.

Sources from the Indian Army confirmed that the soldiers did not die as a result of firing across the border, but in hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese army. Soldiers on both ends were killed. The hand-to-hand combat happened in Indian territory.  The Chinese statement says that India is crossing the border and attacking Chinese personnel as per news agency Agence France Presse. The Chinese Forieng Ministry said that it has called on India not to take unilateral action or stir up trouble.

It has been weeks that the Indian and Chinese army are locked in a standoff at Pangong Tso, Galwan valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh. Chinese army personnel have transgressed into the Indian side of LoC in several areas including Pangong Tso.  Soldiers from both sides had also come to blows on the banks of Pangong Lake. The friction was later eased following talks between senior commanders from both ends in Galwan Valley and Hot Springs.  The Chinese army pulled back its troops from Galwan, PP15 and Hot Springs in Eastern Ladakh area.  The Indian side reverted by pulling back its forces and vehicles from the area.

The ongoing altercation across the Himalayan border has occured as a result of the Chinese army being upset about the construction of roads and air strips in the area. The Indian governments plan to improve coonnectivity along  the border included construction of 66 key roads along the border by 2022. One of these roads is near the Galwan Valley that connects to Daulat Beg Oldi air base.