20 Indian troops die in border brawl with China

At least 20 Indian soldiers have been killed in hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops as a month-long stand-off on the border in the western Himalayas erupted into conflict between the nuclear powers.

Soldiers from the world’s two most populous nations fought for several hours with stones and batons in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, where thousands of troops have been on high alert since Chinese forces crossed the border last month, occupying strategic positions on Indian soil. The deaths mark the first casualties along the disputed border for 45 years, risking a dangerous military escalation between two aggressive neighbours.

Indian sources claimed that up to 40 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured, though that figure was not confirmed by officials on either side. One