They sacrificed their lives to protect our country: Virat Kohli pays tribute to bravehearts martyred in Galwan Valley

Team India skipper Virat Kohli paid tributes on Wednesday (June 17) towards the brave Indian Army soldiers, who lost their lives during the brutal face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.

Kohli took to Twitter and extended his deepest condolences and said, "No one is more selfless and brave than a soldier."

"Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time," he tweeted.

Salute and deepest respect to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country in the Galwan Valley. NO one is more selfless and brave than a soldier. Sincere condolences to the families. I hope they find peace through our prayers at this difficult time. 

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) June 17, 2020

The Indian Army on Tuesday said the violent border clash with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley on Monday has claimed the lives of 20 Indian jawans, most of whom were "exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain" and later succumbed to their injuries. 

Initially, the army had said one officer and two soldiers were killed in the incident, further escalating the already volatile border standoff between the two sides. 

In a statement Tuesday night, the army said that 17 more soldiers who "were were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20."

"Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020," it said. 

"Indian Army is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation," the statement further said. 

It is the first incident involving the casualty of an Indian soldier in a violent clash with the Chinese Army after 1975 when four Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush at Tulung La in Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian intercepts reveal that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured, ANI reported citing sources.