Beijing has ruled out that there were any Indian soldiers captured during a confrontation along the border earlier this week. Indian media claimed that a number of troops had been released by China.
“China hasn’t seized any Indian personnel,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters on Friday.
Earlier in the day, a number of Indian media outlets citing sources suggested that Beijing had released a group of 10 servicemen, including officers. They had been freed and handed over to New Delhi after high-level talks between the nations’ armies, it was reported.
However, Zhao’s choice of words could be explained by an agreement between both governments not to discuss the issue in public, an unnamed Indian diplomat told News18.
The Indian Army did not comment on the release but later published a statement, making clear that there are no remaining soldiers “missing in action.” On top of that, Indian officials also denied that the country’s troops were in Chinese custody.
The reported release came in the wake of a deadly standoff on Monday in which at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed. The clashes happened in a disputed region north of Kashmir, claimed by both Beijing and New Delhi. China suffered casualties as well, though Beijing did not disclose how many troops perished or were wounded.
Both countries pinned the blame for the escalation – the worst in decades – on each other. However, they also stressed that ways need to be found to resolve the issue through talks.
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