Imagine how nuts this could get

At least three Indian soldiers including a senior army officer were killed in a confrontation with Chinese troops on a disputed frontier in the Himalayas.

The clash came after both countries deployed thousands of troops in a month-long face-off that sparked

fears of war breaking out between the two nuclear powers.

5

The Indian army said today that a fight broke out in the Ladakh region last night with "casualties on both sides".

There was no immediate confirmation from Beijing, but reports claimed five Chinese soldiers were killed and 11 hurt.

"During the de-escalation process underway in the Galwan Valley, a violent face-off took place with casualties on both sides," the Indian army said.

"The loss of lives on the Indian side includes an officer and two soldiers. Senior military officials of the two sides are currently meeting at the venue to defuse the situation."

Indian newspaper The Tribune said the dead officer was a colonel. Local reports claimed the three soldiers were "beaten to death".

The Chinese foreign ministry called on India not to take any unilateral action or stir up trouble, Reuters reports.

Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian was quoted as saying that India had crossed the border, "provoking and attacking Chinese personnel, resulting in serious physical confrontation between border forces on the two sides".

Both sides insist no bullets have been fired in four decades.

It is the first loss of life in a confrontation between the two nations since 1975.