All efforts are on to ensure peace, said Air Force chief RKS Bhadauria.

New Delhi:

Air Chief Marshall RKS Bhadauria today said the country will always strive towards maintaining peace and the “sacrifice” at Galwan Valley “will not go in vain”. The Indian Air Force chief was speaking at the combined graduation parade at the Air Force Academy near Hyderabad.

“The gallant actions in a highly-challenging situation have demonstrated our resolve to protect India’s sovereignty at any cost,” the Air Chief Marshall said on the violent face-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh on Monday. Twenty soldiers laid down their lives for India. Sources have told NDTV over 40 Chinese soldiers were also killed or injured.

“All efforts are on to ensure peace. We are fully prepared and deployed to meet any contingency and are determined to deliver. We won’t let the sacrifice at Galwan (Valley) go in vain,” Air Chief Marshall Bhadauria said.

“The security scenario in our region mandates that our armed forces remain prepared and vigilant at all times. The development at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh is a small snapshot of what we are required to handle at a short notice,” he said.

“In spite of unacceptable Chinese action after agreements reached during military talks and resulting loss of lives, all efforts are underway to ensure that the current situation at LAC is resolved peacefully,” the Air Force chief said.

The IAF has deployed its newest AH-64E Apache “tank buster” attack helicopters in Ladakh. Photos have emerged showing MiG-29 jets flying combat air patrol over the region.

China has not captured any Indian territory or crossed the borders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday at an all-party meeting called to discuss the clash with Chinese forces in Ladakh.

“Neither is anyone inside our territory nor is any of our post captured,” PM Modi said, adding the entire country is hurt and angry at the steps taken by China at the Line of Actual Control or LAC.