India and China have agreed to a 3-step disconnect from the Pangong Lake area. (ARCHIVE)
New Delhi:
In a major development, the ongoing India-China border conflict may soon be resolved as the armies of the two countries have agreed to disconnect parts of the eastern Ladakh sector under which they would return to their respective positions before the period of April to May. at the beginning of this year.
The withdrawal plan was discussed between the two sides during the 8th Corps commander-level talks that took place on 6 November in Chushul.
According to the withdrawal plan, which will be carried out in three steps in a week since the talks in the Pangong Lake area, armored vehicles, including tanks and armored personnel carriers, were to withdraw from their deployment. frontline at a significant distance from the Line of Current Control (LAC) on both sides, sources told ANI.
According to discussions, the withdrawal of the tanks and armored personnel carriers would take place in one day. The talks took place on November 6 in which the assistant secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Naveen Shrivastava, and Brigadier Ghai of the General Directorate of Military Operations participated.
In the second step to be carried out near the north shore of Pangong Lake, both sides were supposed to withdraw about 30 percent of the troops every day for three days. The Indian side would approach its administrative post of Dhan Singh Thapa, while the Chinese had agreed to return to their position east of Finger 8.
In the third and final step, the two parties were to withdraw from their respective front line positions along the southern shore of the Pangong Lake area, which includes the heights and territories around the Chushul and Rezang La area.
The two sides also agreed on a joint mechanism to verify progress in the withdrawal process through delegation meetings, as well as the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The Indian side is moving very carefully on the issue as there is a large confidence deficit with China after the clash in the Galwan valley in June this year in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives and many army soldiers Chinese, including their commanding officer, were killed by Indian troops.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trusted security team, including National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane and Chief of the RKS Bhadauria Air Force, had taken strong military measures such as occupying the dominating heights along the southern and northern shores of Lake Pangong in LAC, including features Ane La and Que La.
China had mobilized its troops in a massive deployment throughout LAC and transgressed at multiple locations in India, including patrol points 14, 15, 15 A, 17 and 17A and the Finger area in the April time period. to May in the 14th Corps area of responsibility with Lt Gen Harinder Singh as Corps Commander and Major General Abhijit Bapat as the Commander of the Karu-based 3rd Infantry Division.
India gave a great response by moving about 60,000 troops for advanced deployments, as well as bringing in reserve divisions from the nearby sector and plains of Himachal Pradesh. The Indian Air Force made rapid deployments to the front line where its fighter jets and attack helicopters were ready to fire while its Garud Special Forces deployed to the approach areas with Igla air defense systems to eliminate any aircraft. enemy to approach.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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