Total disengagement process along LAC intricate, says Army

Two days after the fourth round of talks between India and China over the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Army on Thursday (July 16) said the complete disengagement of troops in Ladakh was “intricate” and required constant verification, Indian Express reported.

According to the Army, the senior commanders of both sides “reviewed the progress on implementation of the first phase of disengagement and discussed further steps to ensure the complete withdrawal of troops in the region”. The commanders had held a 15-hour-long meeting in Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC on Tuesday (July 14).

“The two sides remain committed to the objective of complete disengagement. This process is intricate and requires constant verification. They are taking it forward through regular meetings at the diplomatic and military levels,” the Indian Army said in a statement.

The Army added that the July 14 meeting was consistent with the consensus reached during telephonic talks between the Special Representatives of India and China — National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi — on July 5 to discuss complete disengagement.

On June 15, at least 20 Indian Army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh. Government sources had said the Chinese side too suffered “proportionate casualties” but chose not to speculate on the number.