New Delhi: Union Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a top key meet with Army Chief MM Naravane, Chief of Defense Staff Bipin Rawat and Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Tuesday (June 16) as the Indian Army standoff with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley witnessed a violent escalation resulting in bloodshed on both sides.


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The meeting concluded after an hour after which Army chief Naravane, CDS Rawat and EAM Jaishankar were seen coming out of the official residence of the Union Defence Minister in the national capital.


A Colonel-rank Indian Army officer and two soldiers were killed during a clash between Indian and Chinese troops that took place on Monday night. According to reports, casualties were reported on the Chinese side as well although the exact number wasn't known. 


While calling India to not take unilateral action on the killing of its troops in the border standoff, China accused Indian soldiers of crossing the border and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in latest standoff.


Details of what exactly led to the violent face-off are not clear although reports state that no firearms were used and deaths took place after stones were pelted by troops from both sides. 


A large number of Indian and Chinese troops were engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation in Galwan Valley and certain other areas of eastern Ladakh for the last five weeks, said PTI. The Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.


According to a senior military officer, it is the first incident involving the casualty of an Indian soldier in a violent clash with the Chinese Army after 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh along the de-facto border between the two countries.