Five Indian soldiers killed as their tank stuck in river

Indian defense authorities said on Saturday that five soldiers lost their lives in an accident while trying to get a tank across a river situated at the border with China in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army said in a post in its official X account: "On 28 June 2024 night, while deinducting from a military training activity, an army tank got stuck 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 Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his sorrow in the incident. "Deeply saddened at the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate accident while getting the tank across a river in Ladakh," Singh said. Tension between India and China has increased due to border disputes in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh and both the Asian giants have deployed heavily in this Himalayan region an d both have clashed at several occasions since 2020 leading to the loss of lives and deteriorating ties. Source: Kuwait News Agency