Disengagement between India, China in eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok complete
Disengagement between India, China in eastern Ladakh's Depsang and Demchok complete
M.U.H
30/10/202413
The disengagement between Indian and Chinese forces in eastern Ladakh’s Depsang and Demchok plains, where tensions have persisted since the Galwan Valley clash in 2020, has been successfully completed, Indian Army sources confirmed. Both sides will exchange sweets on Diwali on October 31 to mark this positive step, they added.
"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," defence sources told India Today TV.
Following this development, coordinated patrolling by both sides is set to begin soon, with ground-level commanders—brigadiers and below—continuing discussions to determine the specific modalities and ensure stability in these sensitive border areas.
Verification of disengagement is also actively underway, with both sides employing aerial and ground inspections to confirm the complete removal of temporary installations and troop withdrawals.
While disengagement has been verified, local-level talks are expected to continue regularly to maintain and manage the agreed-upon patrolling protocols.
Local military commanders from India and China met today (October 30) at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Depsang and Demchok, to finalise disengagement efforts that were underway. The meeting was expected to confirm the removal of temporary structures and vehicles in the region, clearing the path for the resumption of regular patrolling duties.
As part of a phased disengagement process, aerial verification was successfully completed over Depsang on Tuesday. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were deployed to confirm that temporary installations had been removed and that troops had withdrawn as planned. In Demchok, adverse weather conditions prevented a similar verification effort, but officials expect the process to be completed today.
By Tuesday evening, the area saw significant progress, with tents, temporary structures, and vehicles fully removed from both Depsang and Demchok. Simultaneous disengagement and verification procedures were meticulously carried out, marking a substantial step toward restoring stability along this stretch of the LAC.
India, on October 21, announced that it reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC, marking a breakthrough in ending the over four-year-long military standoff, which began following the deadly clashes between the troops of both countries in June 2020 in Galwan.
