New Delhi: Following a landmark agreement and the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit earlier this week, India and China on Friday began disengaging their troops in phases in eastern Ladakh in the first such de-escalation in the standoff that began in 2020.
The disengaging process began at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted “a broad consensus” had been reached to restore the “ground situation” in specific areas while keeping in mind the principles of equal and mutual security.
Temporary posts and structures set up at the two face-off sites since May 2020 are now being dismantled in a controlled manner, following procedures established by tactical commanders on the ground, Times of India reported.
The dismantling of posts and withdrawing troops would take around a week following which the local commanders will verify the situation on the ground before patrolling begins in the area, the report said.
Key points of the new India-China disengagement pact in Ladakh
Under the new India-China agreement on “patrolling arrangements” announced Monday, Chinese troops will no longer obstruct Indian soldiers in the “bottleneck” area of the strategically important Depsang plains, which lies approximately 18 km within territory India claims as their own.
Similarly, Indian troops will refrain from blocking Chinese patrols in the region. Both armies will notify each other in advance of their patrol dates and times to prevent direct confrontations, with the goal of avoiding any clashes or violence.
The Indian side is optimistic that its troops will now be able to access their patrolling points (PPs) 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13 in Depsang. This critical table-top plateau, situated at an altitude of 16,000 feet, is strategically positioned towards the important Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Karakoram Pass to the north, the report added.
Disengagement is also underway at the Charding Ninglung Nallah track junction near Demchok in the south, where the People’s Liberation Army has set up tents on Indian territory. However, the new patrolling agreement is limited to Depsang and Demchok and does not extend to the “buffer zones” previously established in eastern Ladakh.
These no-patrol buffer zones, which range from 3 km to 10 km and lie majorly on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), were created following troop disengagements at Galwan, the north bank of Pangong Tso, the Kailash Range, and the larger Gogra-Hot Springs area, with the last buffer zone established in September 2022. The issue of patrolling within these buffer zones will be discussed later.