China says 'presently' it hasn't detained any Indian soldiers

By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jun 19 () China on Friday said that "presently", it has not detained any Indian soldiers, amidst reports that the Chinese military took some Indian troops captive after a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on June 15.

The brief statement of the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian came a day after the Indian Army said that all Indian soldiers involved in the clashes with the Chinese army at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night have been accounted for.

"As far as I know, China presently has not detained any Indian personnel," Zhao told a media briefing here while answering questions on the tense standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops at the Galwan Valley.

Asked if there are any Chinese soldiers detained by India, he said: "China and India are (engaged) in a dialogue to resolve the matter on ground through diplomatic and military channels. I don't have any information for you at the moment".

Ten Indian Army personnel including two Majors were released by the Chinese military on Thursday evening following three days of negotiations, people familiar with the development said in New Delhi.

Indian and Chinese militaries held a Major General-level dialogue on Thursday for the third consecutive day on disengagement of troops as well as restoring normalcy in areas around the Galwan Valley.

The clash in Galwan Valley is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while the death toll on the Chinese side was over 300. KJV CPS AKJ CPS