Washington: The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo extended his condolences to the people of India for the death of 20 Indian Army soldiers who were killed in the recent face-off with the Chinese PLA in the Galwan Valley region of Ladakh.
"We extend our deepest condolences to the people of India for the lives lost as a result of the recent confrontation with China. We will remember the soldiers' families, loved ones, and communities as they grieve," he tweeted.
The United States had on Thursday stated that it is closely monitoring the situation between India and China along the LAC. "We note the Indian military has announced that 20 soldiers have died, and we offer our condolences to their families," the State Department spokesperson said.
Both India and China have expressed their desires to de-escalate and the US supports a peaceful resolution of the current situation, the spokesperson said. He also referred to the June 2 phone conversation between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump on India-China border. "During their phone call on June 2, 2020, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the situation along the India-China border," he added.
The condolence message from the United States comes in the wake of 20 Indian soldiers losing their lives in a violent clash between the troops of India and China at Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15 night.
The clash in Galwan Valley is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while the death toll on the Chinese side was over 300.
