Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka offer condolences on killing of Army personnel in border face-off

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said she is "deeply anguished and pained" over the killing of the Indian Army personnel in the face-off with Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

"Deeply anguished and pained by the reports of martyrdom of the brave Officer and Jawans of our Army in Galwan Valley, Ladakh. My tributes to their undaunting courage and condolences to the bereaved families. We stand together in defending our Security and territorial integrity," Sonia Gandhi's statement of condolence read.

Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also offered her condolences.

"We owe an immeasurable debt to the soldiers and officers who have been martyred for our country. We owe them our deepest gratitude and we owe their families our unflinching support through their pain. May God give them strength and courage" Priyanka tweeted.

Earlier Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had taken to Twitter: "Words cannot describe the pain I feel for the officers and men who sacrificed their lives for our country. My condolences to all their loved ones. We stand with you in this difficult time."

The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 in Ladakh's Galwan Valley as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India said on Tuesday.

Indian Army confirmed that 20 personnel were killed and 17 were critically injured at the stand-off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain of Galwan Valley in a violent face-off with Chinese troops at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh late on Monday.

External Affairs Ministry said that both sides suffered casualties in the face-off and the Chinese side departed from the consensus to respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley.

( With inputs from ANI )