India, China begin troop disengagement in Ladakh

Times of India :

Indian and Chinese troops have kicked off the process to disengage in phases at Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh, even as Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said `a broad consensus’ has been achieved to restore the `ground situation’ in certain areas based on the principles of equal and mutual security.
“The dismantling of temporary posts and structures erected at the two face-off sites after May 2020 is now taking place in a controlled manner as part of the modalities worked out by the tactical commanders on the ground,” a source told Times of India.
“The dismantling and pullback by the rival troops will take around a week or so. The local commanders will then verify it physically on the ground before the coordinated patrolling begins,” he added.
As per the new India-China pact on “patrolling arrangements” announced on Monday, Chinese troops will no longer block Indian soldiers at the “Bottleneck” area in the strategically-located Depsang Plains, which is around 18km inside what India considers its own territory.
“Indian troops will also not block Chinese patrols in the region. The two armies will inform each other of the date and time of their patrols in advance to avoid face-to-face confrontations. The aim is to ensure no clashes and violence takes place,” the source said.
The Indian side is hopeful that its troops will now be able to go right up to their patrolling points (PPs) 10, 11, 11A, 12, and 13 in Depsang, the crucial table-top plateau located at an altitude of 16,000-feet towards the crucial Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Karakoram Pass in the north.