Disengagement of troops begins in Ladakh days after India-China border agreement: Report
- In Reports
- 12:53 PM, Oct 25, 2024
- Myind Staff
A few days after India and China agreed to resolve the military standoff in eastern Ladakh, the disengagement process has started at two conflict areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), according to sources.
In the Demchok area, five tents on each side have been taken down, and half of the temporary structures in Depsang have also been removed. Indian soldiers are moving back to the west side of the Charding Nala, while Chinese soldiers are retreating to the east side, according to reports. On both sides, there are possibly ten to twelve makeshift buildings and twelve tents, all of which are scheduled to be taken down. Following the complete removal of all tents and temporary buildings, an aerial survey and ground verification process will be initiated.
Both the Indian army and the Chinese army evacuated part of their troops from the area and decreased the number of their vehicles there. Within the next four to five days, patrolling in Depsang and Demchok is anticipated to resume following the completion of this procedure, according to sources. Coordination of the disengagement actions is being done via communication. According to insiders, local military leaders from both countries meet at predetermined locations once or twice a day and conduct a hotline call every morning to review the day's scheduled activities.
However, there have been no discussions on Galwan or the other four buffer zones as yet. India and China secured a deal on patrols along the LAC on October 21, which was a significant step toward resolving the more than four-year military impasse that started in May 2020 after troops clashed violently in the Galwan Valley. The next day, Beijing stated that a settlement had been reached on "relevant matters" and that it would cooperate with New Delhi to put these resolutions into effect, further confirming the agreement. According to Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, his nation will cooperate with India in the future to carry out these resolutions.
The deal was endorsed by Chinese President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS conference in Kazan, as border disengagement is anticipated to fix strained ties between the two Asian powers. Following this meeting, both parties were instructed to resurrect a number of bilateral dialogue mechanisms, indicating efforts to normalise relations.
In their first meeting in five years, PM Modi emphasised the importance of ensuring that differences on border issues don’t disrupt peace and stability along the border. Xi Jinping also agreed "in principle" with PM Modi's suggestions to strengthen relations between the two countries.
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