India and China mutually disengaged in the Gora area after the 12th round of Corps Commander
Following the de-escalation efforts, India and China have undertaken disengagement from the Gogra area of Ladakh.
The Army said this disengagement followed an agreement at the 12th round of Corps Commander talks on Friday.
Earlier this year a similar disengagement was done in the Pangong Tso (lake) as part of efforts of withdrawal and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.
The Indian Army issued a statement confirming the de-escalation. “As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated, and verified manner. The disengagement process was carried out over two days, August 04 and 05. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases”.
Temporary Structures to be Dismantled
The Army also stated that all the temporary structures and other allied infrastructure built 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.”
After this agreement, the LAC in this area would be respected by both sides, and that there would be no unilateral change in the status quo.
Now the next target is disengagement at PP15 in Jot Springs, according to a defense official. The issue remains unsolved despite some efforts.
During the 9-hour long Twelfth Round of Corps commander talks, the Army stated that the two sides had a sincere and in-depth exchange of views on resolving the remaining area issues on disconnection along the LAC line. In this way, a more sensitive area of confrontation has been resolved, and the Army pointed out. Both parties expressed their commitment to advancing the talks and resolving outstanding issues throughout the western region of LAC.
Further Course of Action
As reported by The Hindu on July 25, officials stated that significant progress had been made on the Gogla exit and hot springs, and an agreement is expected to be reached. In eastern Ladakh, India and China have two mutually agreed disputed areas, Trig Heights and Demchok, and ten areas with different views. Officials said that since last year’s clash, there had been five more sticking points. The second official said that these are 120 kilometers, patrol points (PP) 15 and PP17 in the Galwan area, and Rechin La and Rezang La on the southern shore of Pangong Co.