Indian national cricket team captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday paid tribute to soldiers killed in the bloody clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night. Former national football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia also paid homage to the slain Army personnel.
Twenty Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in the stand-off, which is the biggest military confrontation between two of the world's largest armies in the last 45 years.
Kohli, 31, took to Twitter and wrote: "Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley."
"NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," Kohli added.
His white-ball deputy Rohit Sharma also mourned the death of the soldiers.
"Salute to our REAL HEROES who laid their lives protecting and honouring our border. May god give their families utmost strength," Rohit tweeted.
Bhutia, who has also dabbled in politics, termed the attack a "planned one".
"China had asked all its citizens to leave India few weeks back. The killing of our soldiers in LAC was a I think a planned one.
"We completely condemn this cowardly act of China. Indian Govt should take strong necessary action and not bow down to Chinese aggression," Bhutia wrote on the micro-blogging site.
Olympic bronze medal-winning duo of wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and shuttler Saina Nehwal and cricketer Shikhar Dhawan were also among the notable athletes to pay tributes.
In an official statement, the Indian army said: "Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020. 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand off 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. Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Monday night's clash as well on the overall situation in eastern Ladakh after he held a high-level meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs.
The trigger for the face-off was China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso Lake besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.
