US for peaceful resolution of India-China standoff in Ladakh

New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) The US says it supports peaceful resolution of the stand-off between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh where at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops have been killed in violent clashes.

A US state department statement issued overnight Wednesday, said, "We are closely monitoring the situation between Indian and Chinese forces along the Line of Actual Control."

The Trump administration noted the Indian military announcement of the killing of its 20 soldiers and offered "condolences to the families."

The US government said that both India and China have "expressed a desire to de-escalate" and it supports a "peaceful resolution of the current situation" in the Galwan Valley where the violent clashes took place and India lost a Commanding officer among the 20 killed.

The statement pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had discussed the situation on the Indo-China border in a phone conversation on June 2, just days ahead of the June 6 meeting between top officers of India and China on disengagement at LAC.