Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday condoled the death of five armed soldiers in Ladakh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the tank exercise in a river.
Knca post on X, Kharge said, “Deeply distressed at the loss of lives of five Indian Army bravehearts, including a JCO, while getting a T-72 tank across a river in Ladakh.”
He said, “Our heartfelt condolences to the families of the Army personnel who fell victim to this painful tragedy.”
“In this hour of grief, the nation stands together in saluting the exemplary service of our valiant soldiers,” Kharge added.
Even Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condoled the death of five soldiers and in a post on X in Hindi said, “The news of the death of five army soldiers in the sudden flood near the Line of Control in Ladakh is extremely sad. May God grant peace to the departed souls. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”
“The country will always remain indebted to our brave soldiers and their families for this supreme sacrifice,” she said.
Their remarks came after five soldiers of the Army are feared drowned after being swept away while crossing a river in a T-72 tank near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Nyoma-Chushul area in Ladakh early Saturday.
“On 28 Jun 2024 night, while deinducting from a military training activity, an army tank got struck in the Shyok River, near Saser Brangsa, Eastern Ladakh due to sudden increase in the water level. Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn’t succeed and the tank crew lost their lives. Indian Army regrets loss of five brave personnel while being operationally deployed in Eastern Ladakh. Rescue operations are underway,” the Indian Army said in a statement on X.
In Ladakh, the Indian and the Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff in Ladakh since May 2020.
A full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points.