New Delhi: India and China have completed the disengagement process at Gogra in eastern Ladakh, the second point after Pangong Lake, where the two countries have removed their frontline troops and dismantled temporary infrastructure.
The militaries of India and China have been at a stand-off at multiple points of eastern Ladakh since early May 2020, when Indian troops first detected the intrusion of Chinese soldiers, which led to several clashes.
The stand-off had led to the first casualties on the border in over four decades, when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in Galwan Valley in June 2020. China has officially acknowledged the death of four soldiers at the clash.
In February this year, both sides announced that the disengagement of frontline troops on the banks of the Pangong Lake had been completed.
About six months later, the Indian Army announced on Friday that disengagement had been completed in another area – Gogra, also known as Patrolling Point 17A. The remaining areas where the two sides remain eyeball to eyeball are Hot Springs, Depsang and Demchok. There is no statement from the Chinese side, so far.
The Army press note said that the disengagement process had been agreed to at the 12th round of military talks between Corp commanders on July 31. A joint press release had been issued a day after the meeting.
“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. The disengagement process was carried out over two days i.e. 04 and 05 August 2021. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” it said.
The Army stated that all temporary structures and other infrastructure set up by both sides had been dismantled and “mutually verified”. “The landform in the area has been restored by both sides to pre-stand off period,” it said.
The agreement reached at the July 31 meeting commits the two sides to strictly observe the Line of Actual Control in this area and ensure “no unilateral change in status quo”.
The press release added that the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police are “totally committed to ensure the sovereignty of the nation and maintain peace and tranquility along the LAC in the Western Sector”.
The Indian Army stated that the two Asian giants had expressed commitment to take the talks forward and resolved the remaining issues along the LAC in the western sector on the other friction points.