The disengagement process has reportedly begun at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) days after India and China agreed to end the standoff between their armies.
According to India Today sources, there are about 10-12 temporary structures and around 12 tents on both sides which are set to be removed. Some of the temporary structures and a tent on each side have been dismantled. Indian soldiers are moving back to the west side of the Charding Nala, while Chinese soldiers are retreating to the east side of the Nala.
Sources also said that the Chinese army reduced the number of their vehicles in the area, while the Indian army also withdrew some of the troops. As per the sources, once the process is over, patrolling is expected to resume in Depsang and Demchok in the next 4-5 days.
INDIA-CHINA BORDER AGREEMENT
On October 21, India announced it had reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. This development is seen as a breakthrough in resolving the military standoff that has persisted for over four years.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, during a media briefing, confirmed that the agreement was reached after extensive negotiations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that Indian and Chinese soldiers will resume patrolling as they did before the 2020 border face-off. The disengagement process with China has been completed, paving the way for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan.
The agreement is anticipated to ease patrolling in the Depsang and Demchok areas, where major issues remained unresolved. The relations between the two nations deteriorated significantly after the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, marking a serious military conflict. However, both sides have now disengaged from several friction points through military and diplomatic talks over the past years.
China also confirmed the same the next day.