The disengagement of Indian and Chinese forces in the Depsang and Demchok regions of eastern Ladakh, where tensions have continued since the violent Galwan Valley clash in 2020, has been reportedly completed. Both sides will exchange sweets on the day of Diwali to commemorate this positive development.
With ground-level commanders—brigadiers and below—continuing to discuss the particular modalities and guarantee peace in these delicate border regions, coordinated patrols by both sides are scheduled to commence shortly after this development.
“Disengagement, which involved the withdrawal of troops, tents, and temporary structures from contested areas, has now cleared the way for a possible return to routine patrolling,” said media reports quoting defence sources.
Both sides are actively using air and ground inspections to verify the full removal of temporary installations and military withdrawals as part of the disengagement verification procedure.
Local-level discussions are anticipated to continue on a regular basis to uphold and oversee the established patrolling operations, even if disengagement has been verified.
To complete ongoing disengagement operations, local military commanders from China and India convened today near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Depsang and Demchok. It was anticipated that the meeting will ratify the removal of temporary vehicles and structures from the area, clearing the way for the return to routine patrolling responsibilities.
On Tuesday, aerial verification above Depsang was successfully finished as part of an organised disengagement procedure. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed to verify that soldiers had departed as scheduled and that temporary installations had been taken down.
A similar verification attempt was foiled in Demchok by unfavourable weather conditions, but officials anticipate finishing the procedure today.
Tents, temporary structures, and cars had all been completely removed from Depsang and Demchok by Tuesday evening, marking a major improvement in the area. The thorough conduct of the simultaneous disengagement and verification procedures was a significant step in the restoration of stability along this section of the LAC.
In a significant move to resolve the more than four-year military blockade that started after the deadly conflict between the two nations’ forces in June 2020 in Galwan, India declared on October 21 that it and China had achieved an agreement on patrols along the LAC.
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