Chinese army sends troops, equipment back to depth areas near Pangong lake

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has begun to send its troops and military equipment back to the depth areas after dismantling the temporary structures they created in the Pangong Tso area in eastern Ladakh, according to the Indian Army, which on Tuesday shared visual evidence of the PLA troop movement.

Army officials released a large number of photographs and video footage showing how the Chinese troops dismantled their watchtowers and other temporary structures as the two armies continued with the disengagement process in the north and south banks of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.

As per the plan, the entire pullback exercise was expected to be finished within a week after which military commanders would discuss the disengagement plans for other contentious areas like Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang plains.

Sources said that the PLA soldiers removed bunkers, temporary posts, jetties and helipads in the northern bank areas while gradually thinning down their troops in the region. Indian Army too is reciprocating. There is, however, no clarity at this point on whether tactical heights are also being vacated by both sides.

Last week in a detailed statement Defence Minister Rajnath Singh informed the Parliament that as per the agreement reached between the two sides China would pull back its troops to the east of Finger 8 areas in the northern bank while the Indian personnel would be based at their permanent base at Dhan Singh Thapa Post near Finger 3 in the region. Similar action will take place on the southern bank of the lake as well.

The agreement, coming after nine rounds of talks between senior military commanders from India and China, marks the first step in ending the biggest Sino-Indian border crisis since the 1962 war.