Indian and Chinese troops are nearing complete disengagement at Depsang and Demchok in Ladakh, easing tensions after a lengthy military standoff.
The disengagement of Indian and Chinese armies from Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh is almost over, with both sides simultaneously carrying out joint verification of the troop and equipment pullback to a specified and mutually agreed distance from the face-off sites, people aware of the development said on Tuesday.
As part of the disengagement process, the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have pulled back their forward-deployed troops and equipment from the two flashpoints along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), and dismantled temporary structures that had come up there after the military standoff began in May 2020, the people added, asking not to be named.
“The disengagement is mostly over, and its final verification is being done in line with the agreement reached by India and China on October 21 to reduce border tensions,” said one of the people.
The development will allow the Indian Army and PLA get past a two-year impasse in negotiations to narrow down differences and find a resolution of outstanding issues along LAC — the fourth and last round of disengagement from Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hot Springs area took place in September 2022 after which the talks were deadlocked.
The disengagement at Depsang and Demchok will facilitate patrolling by both sides in a coordinated manner, and in the agreed upon frequency and strength (of the patrolling parties), said Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd), a former director general of military operations.
“This will ensure there are no face-offs and mitigate any chances of a spiral. Since the impasse in the talks has been broken, we can now expect the two sides to chart a path to restore peace and tranquillity along LCA,” Bhatia added.
The disengagement, which began on October 23, has progressed smoothly and the two armies will begin patrolling the contested areas by October 31, as previously reported by Hindustan Times.
This will restore the ground situation in the two forward areas to what it was pre-April 2020. The Indian Army will resume its patrolling activity in areas that had been cut off because of PLA’s forward presence.