At least 20 are dead after Indian and Chinese troops fought each other with rocks and metal rods in a violent border dispute

• Simmering border tensions between China and India erupted into violence Monday night, resulting in casualties on both sides.
• Initial reports from the Indian military said three soldiers were killed in the fight, but the death toll has since risen to at least 20, India's army said in a follow-up statement.
• China said Indian troops crossed the border, prompting retaliation. India's army said its troops were killed in a "violent face-off" in a disputed border area.
• China has apparently been building up its troop presence in the region. It showed off its border defenses earlier this month.

A long-running border dispute between India and China in the Himalayas erupted into violence on Monday evening, killing at least 20 members of India's military.

The Indian army said in a statement on Tuesday that a "violent face-off" took place in the Galwan Valley in the Ladakh region.

"During the de-escalation process under way in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday night with casualties on both sides," the Indian military said in an earlier statement, according to Reuters. "The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation."

Several hours after that statement came out, the Indian military updated the death toll.

The military said: "17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the standoff location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20."

No shots were fired during the border fight, Indian government sources told Reuters. Instead, Chinese and Indian troops attacked one another with rocks and metal bars. The BBC said local media reported that Indian soldiers were "beaten to death." This has not been confirmed by the military.

The area where confrontation escalated into conflict is a disputed land border between the two countries, CNN reported. India and China went to war over the border in the 1960s and never formally agreed on boundaries since, resulting in a standoff that has lasted decades.

Zhao Lijian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said on Tuesday that Indian personnel crossed the border and attacked Chinese troops. Zhao did not say whether there were any injuries or fatalities.

"Indian troops seriously violated our consensus and twice crossed the border line for illegal activities and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel, which lead to serious physical conflict between the two sides," he said, according to CNN.

Forces from both countries have been involved in a standoff in the region for weeks, Reuters reported. It is the latest in many standoffs over the course of the decades-long dispute over the border and the territory that both countries claim.

Reuters reported that Monday saw the first casualties in the conflict in 53 years.

India's army said the latest fighting took place during a "de-escalation process," adding that talks had taken place over the previous 10 days.

CNN reported last week that Chinese state media was showing footage of planes and trucks filled with troops operating in the region.

China's state-run Global Times reported on an operation earlier this month involving "thousands of paratroopers plus armored vehicles," saying experts said it showed "China's capability of quickly reinforcing border defenses when necessary."

—Global Times (@globaltimesnews) June 7, 2020

Zhao said in his Tuesday briefing China wanted peace in the region and that the countries were in talks.

"China has lodged strong protest and representation with the India side, and we once again we solemnly ask the India side to follow our consensus and strictly regulate its frontline troops and do not cross the line and do not stir up troubles or take unilateral moves that may complicate matters," he said.

"We both agreed to resolve this issue through dialogue and consolation and make efforts for easing the situation and upholding peace and tranquility in the border area."

Update: This article has been updated to reflect the higher death toll for the Indian military.