New Delhi:

Rahul Gandhi’s remark that Indian soldiers were being sent “unarmed to martyrdom” in the brutal clash with China at Galwan valley in Ladakh provoked a sharp rebuttal from Overseas Minister S Jaishankar, who claimed: “Let’s get the details straight”.

Troops on the border usually have arms, claimed the Foreign Minister, but it is a lengthy standing practice not to use firearms in the course of facial area-offs.

“Enable us get the details straight. All troops on border obligation always have arms, in particular when leaving put up. Individuals at Galwan on 15 June did so. Lengthy-standing apply (as for every 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs,” mentioned Mr Jaishankar, replying to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet.

The Congress chief had tweeted: “How dare China kill our UNARMED soldiers? Why ended up our troopers sent UNARMED to martyrdom?”

20 Indian troopers, together with a Colonel, were killed in the line of duty on Monday evening in the worst confront-off with Chinese soldiers in approximately 50 decades. Although Beijing has presented no official figure, army sources say close to 45 Chinese soldiers had been killed or wounded.

Next the deadly clash, the military is reviewing the decades-aged regulations of engagement with China. The standing recommendations for troopers confronting Chinese troops in a violent experience-off include not opening hearth. Nevertheless, sources say the military is allegedly talking about this soon after Monday night’s deadly clash at the Galwan river, which commenced when Indian troops moved to clear away a tent pitched by Chinese troopers on India’s side of the border.

The troopers were attacked with iron rods, rocks wrapped in barbed wire and nail-studded clubs at nearly 15,000 ft up in the Himalayas in the vicinity of the freezing Galwan River. Some troopers fell off a steep ridge into the icy river.

The assault came right after months of China setting up up its presence alongside the border which resulted in a stand-off in at minimum four unique locations in Ladakh and just one in Sikkim.

Now, a Key Typical of the Indian Military is keeping talks with Chinese army officers at the Galwan valley, a working day after inconclusive talks more than the confront-off.