India, China to complete troop disengagement at Demchok, Depsang by Oct 29

Following a key agreement firmed up between India and China, the two countries have begun troop disengagement at the two friction points at Demchok and Depsang Plains in eastern Ladakh and this process is likely to get completed by October 28-29, Army sources said on Friday.

The agreement was arrived at only for these two friction points, and "talks are still underway" for other areas, they said.

The sources said that patrolling will begin at the these points once the disengagement that began two days back is completed and both sides will move their respective troops and dismantle temporary structures.

Eventually, they added, the areas and patrolling status is expected to be moved back to pre-April 2020 level.

The patrolling will be done by armed personnel and structures to be dismantled include temporary sheds and tents, a source said.

The process follows the agreement firmed up between the two countries on patrolling and disengagement of troops along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, a major breakthrough to end the over four-year standoff.

The agreement framework was "signed" first at the diplomatic level and then military-level talks took place, the Army sources said, adding the nitty-gritty of the agreement was worked in the Corps Commander-level talks, which was "signed on Monday", the source added.

Adhering to agreements between the two sides, Indian troops have begun to pull back equipment to rear locations in these areas.

It was not immediately known if there will be an act of symbolism to mark the completion of the disengagement at these two friction points as major unresolved issues persist in these two places.

The ties between the two Asian giants had nosedived following a fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri on October 21 had said in Delhi that the agreement was finalised following negotiations over the past several weeks and that it would lead to a resolution of the issues that arose in 2020.

On October 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping endorsed the agreement on patrolling and disengagement along the LAC in eastern Ladakh during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in Russia.

Meanwhile, in Udhampur, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar said military and diplomatic talks have led to an agreement on patrolling along the LAC in the India-China border areas, facilitating disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020.

He said the consensus reached during these talks also include access to patrolling and grazing in traditional areas.

"At the same time, you must be aware that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, in his statement on October 21, mentioned that over the past several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact across various forums," Kumar said, responding to a question on the disengagement of troops.

"Following these talks, a broad consensus has been achieved to restore the situation on the ground, based on the principles of equal and mutual security. This consensus includes restoring access for patrolling and grazing in traditional areas," he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said a broad consensus has been achieved by India and China on restoring the "ground situation" along the LAC pursuant to talks, including for patrolling and grazing cattle in the traditional areas.

In his address at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2024 in Delhi, he described the agreement reached between the two countries as a "significant development" that underscores the importance of defence dialogue on the global stage.