Fighting the elements, not the enemy

A June 18 satellite photo released by Planet Labs showing the reported site of a clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan River Valley high in the Himalayas, where terrain and weather tends to kill more soldiers than actual conflict. — Planet Labs/AP

DEATH is a real and constant danger for the soldiers serving on India’s Himalayan border with China, but until a deadly brawl on June 15 the only killers since 1975 have been the topography and the elements.

“We get more than 100 casualties every year just due to terrain, weather conditions, avalanches.... There is constant danger,” said retired Lt General DS Hooda, who until 2016 headed India’s Northern Command.