The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has awarded 294 of its troops with the Director General (DG) commendation for displaying bravery during the recent skirmishes with Chinese troops in Ladakh. This was announced by the border force on August 14, 2020.
The ITBP added saying that recommendations have also been sent to the government for awarding gallantry medals to 21 troops posted in the area.
In its first official account of the standoff between the two militaries, the ITBP revealed how its troops “not only effectively used shield to protect themselves but also responded fiercely to advancing PLA (Chinese People’s Liberation Army) troops and brought the situation under control”.
“Due to the high-altitude training and manoeuver experience of the force in the Himalayas, the ITBP troops kept PLA troops at bay and due to the all out and befitting response of ITBP jawans at almost all fronts, many areas were safeguarded in the hyper sensitive areas,” it said.
It said ITBP troops displayed the highest order of professional skills and “fought shoulder-to-shoulder and also brought the injured Indian Army troops to the rear”.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with the Chinese troops in the eastern Ladakh area on the intervening night of June 15-16.