India, China complete disengagement in Pangong Tso, next round of military talks on Saturday

India and China will hold the 10th round of military talks on Saturday (Feb 20) to discuss disengagement from other friction points after the process was completed at both banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh sector.

The disengagement process between India and China in eastern Ladakh has been completed in Pangong Tso, sources have said.

India and China will discuss disengagement from other friction points after pulling back troops and equipment from both northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Army sources told India Today on Friday.

The 10th round of talks between military commanders of India and China will be held on Saturday to discuss disengagement in other friction points of Gogra and Hot Springs, sources added. The talks are scheduled to begin at 10 am at Moldo near Chushul on the South bank of Pangong Tso.

The Indian Army had earlier released videos and photos showing thinning down of troops and dismantling of bunkers, camps by the Chinese military in the areas around the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh in line with the agreed disengagement process between the two sides.

The visuals showed the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) using a bulldozer to flatten structures, and vehicles with troops and equipment preparing to retreat to rear bases.

Satellite imagery captured on February 16, showed the full scale of disengagement underway in eastern Ladakh's Pangong Tso. Camps, military vehicles, additional boats, jetties and storage facilities set up by the Chinese were not visible in the latest satellite imagery.

About the disengagement process in Ladakh

After a nine-month standoff, the two militaries had reached the agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a "phased, coordinated and verifiable" manner.

The first phase of disengagement of troops and armoured elements was limited to friction points at Pangong Tso where India and China were locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.

Chinese and Indian militaries pulled back armoured elements and thinning down of troops in areas around Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh as part of an agreement reached between the two sides on the disengagement process.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a statement in Parliament on the disengagement pact.

According to the agreement, China was to pull back its troops to East of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank while the Indian personnel will be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region.

Similar action was to take place on the South bank of the lake as well, Rajnath Singh said in Parliament.

The Standoff

The Chinese military built several bunkers and other structures in the areas between Finger 4 and 8 last year and blocked Indian patrols beyond Finger 4, triggering strong reaction from the Indian Army.

In the nine rounds of military talks, India was specifically insisting on withdrawal of Chinese troops from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North bank of Pangong Lake.

The sources have said following completion of the disengagement process, the two sides will hold talks on the de-escalation process.

They said field commanders of both the armies have been holding talks on a daily basis in the last few days to coordinate the disengagement process.