Twenty Indian soldiers including a Colonel were killed in a “violent face-off” on Monday night with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, said sources, in a massive escalation after weeks of tension at the border. India retaliated and there were casualties on both sides, said the army, according to NDTV.

India said the clashes happened “as a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there”, rebutting China’s claims that Indian soldiers cross the border. This is the first violent incident involving fatalities since 1975 between India and China, who fought a border war in 1962, the report added.

The Chinese too faced casualties but they are trying to impose a narrative of their own by blaming Indian army of intruding into their territory. India and China earlier reported to have mutually agreed to de-escalate the border dispute by withdrawing their troops along the disputed region. However, it is unlikely that the situation could be resolve so comfortably considering the long border regions shared along India and Tibet. Since Chinese invasion of Tibet, India have been constantly intimidated by the along its borders.

Dr. Sangay, President of exile Tibetan administration recently explained that there was no tension along the borders for India before China occupied Tibet. Since Chinese invasion of Tibet, there has been border incursions along India’s borders. He added that solving the issue of Tibet is the key to solving long standing border disputes between the two Asian giants.