Indian troops on border duty carry arms: Jaishankar to Rahul Gandhi

Hours after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comment on Galwan Valley standoff, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday rectified him saying that all Indian troops guarding the border carry arms. Gandhi had earlier asked that why Army personnel in Galwan Valley were sent "unarmed to martyrdom".

Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, the EAM said that the Army doesn't use firearms as per provisions of two bilateral agreements sealed in 1996 and 2005.

"Let us get the facts straight. All troops on border duty always carry arms, especially when leaving post. Those at Galwan on 15 June did so. Long-standing practice (as per 1996 & 2005 agreements) not to use firearms during faceoffs," Jaishankar tweeted.