India, China disengage in eastern Ladakh's Gogra, temporary structures created by both sides dismantled

India and China have agreed to disengage in eastern Ladakh’s Gogra area where they have been locked in a military standoff since May 2020, the Indian Army said on Friday. The disengagement is a major peace-building step aimed at mending frayed ties between the two neighbouring countries. After Gogra, the remaining military standoffs in eastern Ladakh are Depsang and Hot Springs. Disengagements have been announced earlier for the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, and Galwan. India and China, which held their 12th round of military-level talks on 31 July at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point in eastern Ladakh, “had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on resolution of remaining areas related to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” the army said in a press release. “As an outcome of the meeting, both sides agreed on disengagement in the area of Gogra. The troops in this area have been in a face-off situation since May last year,” the release added. Last year, tensions between India and China soared and ties hit a new low in the wake of the border standoff. A 15 June clash in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley left 20 Indian soldiers dead. It was the first deadly conflict between India and China along the LAC in 45 years. Months after the incident, China officially announced that it suffered four casualties in the brawl, though observers believe the number could be much higher. In the midst of spiralling tensions, both sides deployed tanks and artilleries at the border. The two sides have earlier agreed to disengage in Pangong Tso, which was another major disputed area. While India announced on Friday the disengagement in Gogra, there was no immediate word on Hot Springs and Depsang, two other friction points. “…one more sensitive area of face-off has been resolved. Both sides have expressed commitment to take the talks forward and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector (of the India-China border),” the army’s release said. It added both sides ceased forward deployments in the area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner as part of the disengagement process carried out over two days (4-5 August). It added “troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases”. “All temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides have been dismantled and mutually verified. The landform in the area has been restored by both sides to pre-stand off period,” the release said. The agreement between India and China ensured that the LAC in this area would be strictly observed and respected by both sides, and that there was no unilateral change in status quo, the release added. It said the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were committed to protecting the sovereignty of the nation and maintaining peace along the border.