China rejects media reports of Indian soldier deaths in attack

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A news report claiming that a total of 158 Indian soldiers had been killed during a military clash as China fired rockets along China-India border has been proved to be baseless, according to China's state media People's Daily on Tuesday.

This came after a leading Pakistani news channel Dunya News broadcast a report on Monday evening that clashes had broken out in the Sikkim area between China and India, with details of the use of "rocket launchers, machine guns, and mortars."

The report with a short clip has also been posted on the news channel's YouTube and Twitter accounts.

A screen grab from Dunya News

There was no reference to the source of the photographs and information in the short clip it released and its voice-over didn’t mention about the news source, saying that the figure of 158 Indian soldiers was "based on reports that were coming in."

According to People's Daily, the Defense Ministry of Pakistan has reposted the news on its website but later deleted it, while no other mainstream media have reported it.

China's Embassy in India has no idea why such reports came out without verification.

In the meantime, another local media Pakistan Today has refuted the report saying that the text was based on no facts and the photos were military clash scenes between India and Pakistan in May of this year.

India's Ministry of External Affairs has issued a statement on its website dismissing the reports as "utterly baseless, malicious and mischievous."

While both Chinese and Indian troops are at close proximity, the situation remains calm at the location where the two sides have entered a month of stand-off, as per the statement.

Chinese and Indian soldiers standing guard at China-India border. /VCG Photo

This row began when Indian border troops intruded across the China-India boundary at the Sikkim section, entering Chinese territory to obstruct road-building by Chinese workmen.

As defined by the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet Convention, the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary commences at Mount Gipmochi, so Chinese construction within its own territory is legitimate.

However, India has denied that the Sikkim section has a defined boundary status and defended its action as an attempt to protect Bhutan and its own security.

For a number of times, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made clear that there is no room for negotiation until India pulls back its troops.

As of this article is filed, the report by Dunya News and the clip uploaded on its YouTube channel and two tweets have not yet been retracted.