India, China disengagement process at disputed border completed

The disengagement process of the Indian and Chinese troops in a tense area of their contested border has been completed, local media reported on Friday.

Both sides completed withdrawal of troops and military hardware from the north and south banks of Pangong Lake in eastern Ladakh, the Press Trust of India said, citing official sources.

The report also suggested that the senior commanders of Indian and Chinese troops will hold a fresh round of high-level talks on Saturday to take forward the disengagement process.

The disengagement comes after months long standoff at Pangong Lake.

The Chinese Defense Ministry last week said the two sides have agreed to resolve military tensions on their contested border.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament last week that both sides would cease their forward deployments in the lake area in a "phased, coordinated and verified manner."

"These are mutual and reciprocal steps, and any structures that had been built by both sides since April 2020 in both north and south bank areas will be removed, and the landforms will be restored," he said.

Tensions began escalating in Ladakh in May last year, with India and China accusing each other of crossing the Line of Actual Control that separates the two sides.

The confrontation became violent on June 15 when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a physical altercation at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

China revealed Friday that four of its soldiers died and one was seriously injured. It is apparently the first time for China to make public its casualties in the clash.

The five Chinese soldiers were described by the Central Military Commission as "heroes defending the border," according to Chinese media.