Five Indian Army personnel were killed early on Saturday morning while engaged in a routine military training exercise with tanks, which involved crossing the Shyok River at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) area of eastern Ladakh.

Officials informed The Indian Express that a troop of Russian-origin T-72 tanks was engaged in the fording exercise. The Shyok River is a tributary of the Indus River that traverses northern Ladakh.

According to officials, while the leading tank managed to cross the river, at least one of them drifted due to a high current and a sudden increase in water levels of the river, and eventually got stuck, leading to the deaths of the army personnel.

The rescue operations to retrieve the deceased was under way.

The Army's 14 Corps, which is responsible for the Ladakh sector, reported that the tank became entangled in the Shyok River near Saser Brangsa in eastern Ladakh as a result of a sudden rise in water levels while it was undergoing de-induction from a military training activity.

“Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission did not succeed and the tank crew lost their lives,” it said.

“Indian Army regrets loss of five brave personnel while being operationally deployed in eastern Ladakh. Rescue operations are underway,” it added.

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.

We will never forget exemplary service of our gallant soldiers to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved…
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 29, 2024

Since the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020, there has been an increased deployment of armoured vehicles in the strategic DBO area of eastern Ladakh. The District Business Office is situated less than 10 kilometres west of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Aksai Chin. In response to China's occupation of Aksai Chin, a military outpost was created in DBO. It is currently manned by a combination of the Army's Ladakh Scouts and the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Although initially only one brigade of tanks was deployed in the vicinity, the deployment was subsequently augmented to two brigades with an increased number of battalions. Since their deployment in the area, they have been carrying out routine training to ensure that the crew and tanks are familiar with the area and likely situations.

Since 2020, India and China have been involved in a military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Friction points such as Galwan Valley, the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and the Gogra-Hot Springs area have experienced some degree of resolution since the onset of the present military standoff between India and China in 2020, with the establishment of buffer zones along the LAC.

Since that time, approximately 50,000-60,000 troops have been deployed on both sides of the border between India and China, despite a slight reduction in the last few months due to the winter season.

A comprehensive reduction in the number of troops is anticipated only after the resolution of the lingering issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok.