NEW DELHI, June 20. (BBC) - China has denied having any Indian soldiers currently in custody, as both sides try to lower the temperature following a fatal clash along their disputed border in the Galwan Valley.
Indian media had reported that China detained 10 Indian soldiers in the fight, releasing them on Thursday. Chinese government spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday that no Indian soldiers were "currently" being held. The Indian government said only that none of its soldiers were missing.
Meanwhile, China has accused Indian troops of a "deliberate provocation" in its first official comments on Monday's deadly clash at a disputed Himalayan border.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao said the troops had crossed into Chinese territory and attacked, triggering "fierce physical conflicts". However he did not give details of any Chinese casualties. On Friday Indian PM Narendra Modi said no foreign soldiers had crossed India's borders and no territory had been lost. Mr Modi vowed that India would defend its border with military force if necessary.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the clash in the Galwan Valley. India has said that both sides suffered losses during the fighting.
The careful wording of the statements did little to clarify whether Chinese forces in the contested area had taken Indian soldiers into custody and subsequently released them. Indian media reports suggested that a lieutenant-colonel and three majors were among 10 held by the Chinese, and that their release was the top priority in military and diplomatic talks between the nuclear powers on Wednesday.
Asked at a press conference about the reports, Mr Zhao said: "As far as I know, currently, China has not detained any Indian personnel".
The conflicting reports were the latest round of confusion over what exactly happened in the Galwan Valley on Monday. At least 20 Indian soldiers died in the clash, which was fought without any firearms because of a 1996 agreement barring guns and explosives from the area, and at least 76 Indian soldiers were injured.
China has not released any information about casualties, though India said both sides suffered losses.
The two nations have accused the other of crossing the poorly demarcated border and provoking the fight.
Shiv Aroor, a senior editor at India Today, tweeted on Thursday with what he said were details of the release of the Indian troops.In his press conference Mr Zhao, acknowldged that the two nations were in communication over diplomatic and military channels. "We hope India can work with China to maintain the long-term development of bilateral relations," he said.
But it was "very clear and the responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side", he added.
The conflicting reports over soldiers in custody came after an image emerged on Thursday purportedly showing some of the crude weapons used in the fight.