US Congressman holds talks with Indian envoy, condoles deaths of 20 Indian troops in Ladakh face-off

Washington DC [USA], June 24 (ANI): US Congressman Brad Sherman on Tuesday spoke to Indian Ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and expressed his condolences over the demise of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent face-off with Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley.
"Good speaking with India's Ambassador @SandhuTaranjitS today. I offered my condolences to the Ambassador for the 20 troops who died as a result of premeditated Chinese aggression at the actual Line of Control in Ladakh last week," Sherman tweeted.
He also said that they spoke "in general restrengthening the US-India relationship".
The face-off happened on June 15 as a result of an attempt by China to unilaterally change the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh. India has said that the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.
Indian intercepts have revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured.
Meanwhile, the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) is likely to hold a virtual meet on Wednesday to discuss border tensions between the two countries.
The WMCC talks are headed by joint secretary-level officials from both sides.
WMCC was established in 2012 as an institutional mechanism for consultation and coordination for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas, as well as to exchange views on strengthening communication and cooperation, including between their border security personnel. (ANI)