At least 20 Indian Army personnel died in the violent clash with China's People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley last night, government sources informed News Agency Ani, amid fears that casualty figures could increase even higher.

Talking to news agency ANI, government sources said, “At least 20 Indian soldiers killed in the violent face-off with China in Galwan valley in Eastern Ladakh. Casualty numbers could rise.”

However, the sources also said that the number of casualties was way higher Chinese side. “Indian intercepts reveal that Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in face-off in the Galwan valley,” said the sources.

Notably, Colonel Santosh Babu-Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar Regiment-and Havaldar Palani and Sepoy Kundan Jha were, previously in the day, reported as the first three Indian casualties of the violent clash.

China, however, is yet to speak on the number of casualties and injuries suffered by it, though the state media reported that its troops too had suffered ‘significant’ casualties.

In its official statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) slammed China, saying that Beijing was responsible for all the deaths, which, the ministry said, were all ‘avoidable’.