The Chinese and Indian armies continued with the disengagement process in the North and South banks of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh as per plan and the entire pullback exercise is expected to take another six-seven days, sources in the defence and security establishment said on Monday.
The sources said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) has already removed several bunkers, temporary posts and other structures in the northern bank areas while gradually thinning down their troops in the region.
They said field commanders of both the sides are meeting almost on a daily basis to take forward the disengagement process which was finalised last week following nine rounds of high-level military talks. It will take at least a week for the disengagement process to be completed in the North and South banks of Pangong Tso, they said, adding both sides are carrying out verification of withdrawal of troops and equipment.
After nine months of standoff, the two armies reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a “phased, coordinated and verifiable” manner. The disengagement began on Wednesday last. On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a detailed statement in Parliament on the disengagement pact.