Disengagement process in Gogra-Hot springs area in Ladakh “going as per schedule”: Indian Army chief

On September 8 both Indian and Chinese Armies announced the joint disengagement of Patrol Point 15 of the Gogra-Hot Springs after a consensus on the 16^th round of commander-level talks between both armies which were held earlier in July.

This is the fourth round of disengagement between both sides.

The disengagement comes after an almost two-and-a-half-year standoff that started in April of 2020.

The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pandey visited the site to review the process and assured that the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hot springs area in Ladakh is “going as per schedule”.

The army chief carried out a comprehensive assessment of the disengagement of the withdrawal process and observed the Pravat Prahaar military drill. This drill showcased a live-fire drill of artillery and other important systems.

While the disengagement process in the Gogra-Hotsprings area has been viewed as huge progress, there has been no progress or resolution in the standoff in Demchok and Depsang regions. Announcing the beginning of the disengagement process, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Friday that the disengagement process in Patrolling Point 15 will be completed by Monday.

“As per the agreement, the disengagement process in this area started on September 8 at 0830 hours and will be completed by September 12. The two sides have agreed to cease forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner, resulting in the return of the troops of both sides to their respective areas,” he added.

The move was taken days before a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping that is most likely to take place next week in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.