India And China Clash Over Border Dispute In The Himalayas

A border dispute between India and China that’s been active since 1965 escalated on June 15, 2020, when troops from both countries attacked each other.

Indian officials said 20 of their soldiers died in the brawl, including a commanding officer who they say fell to his death from a narrow ridge in the Galwan Valley, where the dispute took place. 

Tensions between the two countries have been rising this year as each side have been ramping up their military presence and building infrastructure along the unofficial border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Chinese officials have accused Indian troops of crossing into Chinese-controlled territory .

Given that both countries have sizable military forces and access to nuclear weapons, analysts are concerned about whether the dispute will escalate into a war. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted about helping both mediate the dispute between both countries.

The two countries plan to discuss the dispute along with Russia in a trilateral meeting, but China is claiming ownership over the valley where the brawl took place. 

With files from The Associated Press.