At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed by Chinese troops in clashes on the disputed Himalayan border, according to a statement by the Indian army.

The “violent face-off” in Ladakh came amid renewed tensions between the troops in recent weeks. The clash, which led to the first loss of lives in the area in at least 45 years, was also confirmed by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“During the de-escalation process under way in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place yesterday [Monday] night with casualties on both sides,” the Indian army said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon .

“The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers,” it said.

Later in the day, the Indian army updated the death toll to 20, as 17 troops who were “critically injured” at the stand-off location had later died after being exposed to sub-zero temperatures in high altitude terrain.

Several soldiers were still missing and the number of deaths was likely to rise, the Indian government said.

According to the Guardian, fighting broke out when an Indian patrol unexpectedly encountered Chinese forces on a narrow ridge. An Indian officer was pushed and fell into the river gorge. Reinforcements were then called and up to 600 troops from both armies fought hand-to-hand. Several men fell to their deaths.

Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the Indian army had crossed the border twice on Monday, disregarding the agreement between the two countries, and accused them of “provoking and attacking” Chinese personnel. He said China had lodged a complaint with India and called on the Indian military to keep its front-line soldiers under control.

The Chinese army also suffered casualties, according to a tweet by Hu Xijin — the editor-in-chief for China’s state-controlled Global Times newspaper. “Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash,” he wrote, without giving further details.

Macao-based military expert Antony Wong told Apple Daily that Chinese soldiers on the border might have been provoked by a recent video clip which showed a Chinese soldier bleeding and begging for help after being beaten by Indian troops. The clash showed the Chinese commander had lost control over front-line soldiers, he said.

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