Three Indian soldiers were killed in "a violent face-off" with the Chinese Army in Ladakh in the disputed Kashmir region along the Himalayan border on Monday night, the Indian Army said in a statement.
Details: The Indian Army later stated there had been "casualties on both sides," India Today notes. The Indian Army added, "Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation." China said Indian troops entered its territory to attack its soldiers, but it didn't comment on casualties, per AFP.
- A Chinese Foreign ministry spokesperson said the Indian soldiers "crossed the border line twice ... provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides," according to the news outlet.
Why it matters: There have been long-running border tensions between China and India. But the deaths are "believed to be the first in decades" during clashes between the two countries, which have only been at war once — over the disputed Himalayan border in 1962, which China won, the BBC notes.
The big picture: Last month, several Chinese and Indian troops were wounded during hand-to-hand combat involving 150 soldiers near Tibet, with fists and stones thrown, the Guardian reported at the time.
- China's foreign ministry said last week that a "positive consensus" had been reached through diplomacy, per AFP.
Go deeper: China and India engage in border standoff high in the Himalayas
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
.
