Disengagement in Pangong Tso over, 10th round of talks today

The Pangong Lake disengagement took place on strategic heights on both banks of the lake, and saw both armies pull back their frontline troops, tanks, infantry combat vehicles and artillery guns

The disengagement process between the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in eastern Ladakh’s Pangong Tso area is over; senior military commanders on both sides will meet on Saturday to discuss the next round of disengagement, people familiar with the developments said on Friday. The talks are expected to begin at 10am at Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

People Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and tanks during military disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at the India-China border in Ladakh. (AFP)

The Pangong Lake disengagement took place on strategic heights on both banks of the lake, and saw both armies pull back their frontline troops, tanks, infantry combat vehicles and artillery guns under an agreement reached earlier this month. The disengagement began on February 10.

Military structures erected after April 2020 in the Pangong Tso sector were also removed.

The 10th round of talks between corps commander-ranked officers of the two armies will focus on disengagement at other friction points in eastern Ladakh, the officials cited above said.

Outstanding problems with PLA at Depsang, Hot Springs and Gogra—friction points on the contested border in eastern Ladakh—will be tackled during the talks.

Under the disenegagement understanding, the outstanding issues related to deployment and patrolling at the three friction points were to be taken up within 48 hours of pullback of troops in the Pangong Tso area.