NEW DELHI: The
disengagement process
of the Indian and Chinese troops on both sides of
Pangong lake has been completed, a source said on Friday.
The two armies reached an agreement on disengagement at the North and
South banks
of Pangong lake that mandated both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.
The pullback comes after a nine-month-long border standoff in
eastern Ladakh
.
On February 10, China's defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Wu Qian in a brief press release announced that the Chinese and Indian frontline troops at the South and North banks of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh started synchronised and organised disengagement.
With this, the 10th round of corps commander-level talks between the two countries will also be held on Saturday on the Chinese side of the
Line of Actual Control
(LAC) in Moldo.
They are set to discuss disengagement from Gogra,
Hot Springs
and the strategically-located Depsang Plain areas.
The Indian Army on Tuesday released short videos and photographs showing thinning down of troops and dismantling of bunkers, camps and other facilities by the Chinese military in the areas around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh in line with the agreed disengagement process between the two sides.
The visuals also showed the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) using a bulldozer to flatten some structures, and vehicles with troops and equipment preparing to retreat to rear bases as part of the infantry disengagement.
In his statement giving details of the disengagement agreement, defence minister Rajnath Singh had said China will pull back its troops to east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank of Pangong lake while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.
Singh had also assured Parliament that India has not conceded anything in the sustained talks with China and it will not allow even an inch of its territory to be taken away by anyone.
(With inputs from agencies)