India and China have completed the disengagement process at the patrol point PP17A, also known as the Gogra Post, in eastern Ladakh following the 12th round of corps commander-level talks, the Indian Army said on Friday.
The negotiations took place on July 31 at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side of the region. The withdrawal of the contingents was carried out Wednesday and Thursday. Troops are now stationed at respective permanent bases.
“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. The disengagement process was carried out over two days ie 04 and 05 August 2021,” the army said in a press release.
The agreement also stipulates that the line of actual control (LAC) in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides.
The lack of a marked border between India and China has long been a source of tensions between the countries. Instead, they have the LAC created after the 1962 war between the nations. The tensions have been on the rise since May 2020 when the first skirmishes between the countries’ border forces took place, resulting in multiple fatalities.
In a bid to settle the conflict, the two nations launched the disengagement consultations in early June 2020, with the first phase of disengagement on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Lake completed this February.
