While the number of Chinese troops has thinned down at many places, the simultaneous verification exercise indicates a mismatch between Chinese claims and the ground position at some places, said sources. At Patrol Point-15 P but an on-ground evaluation revealed that they are still 2 km inside the LAC,” an official said. This, along with Chinese troop deployments in Depsang Plains and Pangong Tso, were pointed out at the recently concluded fourth round of corps commander-level talks between the two sides.
Those familiar with the details told ET that this tedious process is likely to further delay the completion of the disengagement exercise. As a confidence-building effort, however, it was agreed upon that the number of troops stationed at Hot Springs should be brought down to 50 on either side, while a large number have been moved back as part of the disengagement plan.
At Depsang, the intrusion is near a place called the ‘Bottleneck’, which is on the Indian side of the LAC, said sources While Indian forces still control the ‘Bottleneck’, access seems to have been blocked to least four nearby patrolling points that stretch over a 700 sq km area.
Officials, however, confirmed that there has been significant reduction in the number of Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley and Gogra heights. At Pangong Tso, the contest is still on. “Indian forces have not been able to mount vigil beyond Finger 2-3 due to the strong presence of Chinese troops in Finger 4-5 area, but they continue to remain cautious,” official sources said.
At Depsang, the intrusion is near a place called the ‘Bottleneck’, which is on the Indian side of the LAC, said sources While Indian forces still control the ‘Bottleneck’, access seems to have been blocked to least four nearby patrolling points that stretch over a 700 sq km area.
Chinese Presence
Citing a fresh assessment on the presence of Chinese troops at the LAC, Indian officials said Chinese soldiers have refused to back off from the heights adjoining Finger 4. India has been demanding that Chinese troops must disengage from all the areas. Following four rounds of military-level talks, Indian forces agreed to withdraw by 2-3 km in the disputed region.
The two sides further agreed to observe an embargo on foot patrolling for the next month though a joint verification of the disengagement is planned next week. The use of hi-tech equipment for monitoring movement of soldiers was also raised during the multiple rounds of discussions, according to officials familiar with the developments.
In a statement after the fourth round of corps commander-level talks on Tuesday, Indian Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said: “The engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the special representatives of India and China earlier, on July 5, to discuss complete disengagement. The senior commanders reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement.”
Citing a fresh assessment on the presence of Chinese troops at the LAC, Indian officials said Chinese soldiers have refused to back off from the heights adjoining Finger 4. India has been demanding that Chinese troops must disengage from all the areas. Following four rounds of military-level talks, Indian forces agreed to withdraw by 2-3 km in the disputed region.
The two sides further agreed to observe an embargo on foot patrolling for the next month though a joint verification of the disengagement is planned next week. The use of hi-tech equipment for monitoring movement of soldiers was also raised during the multiple rounds of discussions, according to officials familiar with the developments.
In a statement after the fourth round of corps commander-level talks on Tuesday, Indian Army spokesperson Col Aman Anand said: “The engagement was consistent with the consensus reached between the special representatives of India and China earlier, on July 5, to discuss complete disengagement. The senior commanders reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure complete disengagement.”
