June would remain etched in the memory of all Indians for years to come. Right in the middle of the year, on the night of June 15-16, 20 soldiers of the Indian Army, including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar, Col Bikkumalla Santosh Babu were killed by the PLA soldiers; and many were injured. No weapons were used—neither by the attackers nor the defenders—in deference to the unsaid code of conduct on the LAC, historically honoured by both sides since the signing of the Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement in 1993.

The implements of attack were primitive, and well thought out: concertina wires wrapped around clubs and stones aided by aggressive jostling, shoving and pushing unsuspecting soldiers down the cliff into the icy stream. Indians assert that several PLA soldiers were killed too, but since China did not accept any number, the assertion remains just that.