The death of the Tibetan soldier offered a rare glimpse of a little-known group of elite warriors.
Leh / New Delhi:
The Indian army and members of the Tibetan community in Leh paid their last respects this morning to Tibetan soldier Nyima Tenzin, who was cremated today. Nyima Tenzin, a part of the once-secret Special Border Force (SFF) made up of Tibetan soldiers operating under the command of the Indian army, was killed in action last week after stepping on an ancient landmine in southern Pangong.
Among those who paid their last respects was BJP leader Ram Madhav. The BJP leader shared images of the funeral in a tweet, which was later deleted.
Soldiers in the unit owe their allegiance to the Dalai Lama, the flag of Tibet and the flag of India. They are among the leading experts in mountain warfare and are trained to operate behind enemy lines in Tibet.
The death of the Tibetan soldier offered a rare glimpse of a little-known group of high-rise elite warriors. The force recruits primarily Tibetan refugees, hundreds of thousands of whom have made India their home since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising in 1959. Some are Indian nationals. Few details are publicly known about the covert force established shortly after the India-China war in 1962. The force is estimated to number over 3,500 men.
Last week, the government said Chinese troops “participated in provocative actions” on the southern shore of Lake Pangong in eastern Ladakh twice.
“The two sides must continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disconnection and reduction of escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility along LAC (Line of Royal Control) as soon as possible, “the Defense Ministry said in a series of tweets on Saturday, hours after the defense ministers of two countries, Rajnath Singh and Wei Fenghi, met in Moscow, Russia.
(With input from Reuters)
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