Newly released death certificates reveal the gruesome details of how the Indian soldiers were killed. Three death certificates of Indian soldiers show that they had their “arteries ruptured in the neck”. Two Indian personnel had sustained head injuries caused by “sharp or pointed objects”.
Many of the dead had visible marks on their necks and forehead.
An Indian government official in Delhi said: “It was a free-for-all, they fought with whatever they could lay their hands on – rods, sticks, and even with their bare hands.”
Chinese troops were aided in the close combat because they had prepared improvised weapons.
These included clubs with nails in them and spiked iron bars.
Death certificates from the incident that took place in the middle of the night at 4,267 metres altitude showed the brutality of the event.
Families of the dead Indian soldiers revealed the extent of their injuries.
In one case a soldier was killed by having his throat slit with nails.
No shots were fired during the incident that also saw Indian troops pushed or slipping off a narrow precipice into the freezing waters of the Galwan river in the western Himalayas.
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“By March, we knew about the war-drills by the Chinese PLA troops and we had communicated the information to senior authorities.”
The general spoke about the military infrastructure build-up by both sides in the disputed region.
He said: “China has unquestionably increased its resources and capabilities.
“Over time, China has considerably increased its military capability.
“China has three to four times more satellites than India.
“So it is clear that their capabilities are ahead of India at the moment but then India is not far behind.”
Beijing has repeatedly blamed the Indian side for crossing the de facto border and provoking the Chinese troops.
A Chinese spokesperson said: “When Chinese officers and soldiers went there to negotiate, they were suddenly and violently attacked by the Indian troops.
“The rights and wrongs of the incident are very clear.
“The responsibility absolutely does not lie with the Chinese.”