Indian and Chinese troops are disengaging from Gogra-Hot Springs
New Delhi:
The disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops from Gogra-Hot Springs in Ladakh, which started yesterday, will be completed by Monday.
Both sides have agreed that all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area will be dismantled and mutually verified, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.
The landforms in the area will be restored to pre-stand-off period by both sides, Mr Bagchi said.
India and China have been able to disengage so far from the Galwan region where fierce clashes between soldiers of both sides took place in June 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers laid down their lives for the country. Over 40 Chinese soldiers were killed or injured.
The two sides have agreed to cease forward deployments in this area (Gogra-Hot Springs) in a phased, coordinated and verified manner, resulting in the return of the troops of both sides to their respective areas, Mr Bagchi said, a day after both sides announced the outcome of the 16th round of military talks.
The agreement ensures that the Line of Actual Control, or LAC, in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides, and that there will be no unilateral change in status quo, Mr Bagchi said.
Though there have been breakthroughs on both Galwan Valley and the banks of Pangong Lake further south in Ladakh, Chinese soldiers are still believed to hold large swathes of Indian territory to the north in the Depsang plains.
The 16th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China were held on July 17. Before that, the two sides met for talks in March.
