New Delhi: Indian and Chinese armies withdrew from patrol post number 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in the Ladakh sector, government sources said on Tuesday as reported by news agency PTI. Asked about the disengagement at PP-15 on the sidelines of an event, Army Chief General Manoj Pande had said: "I will have to go and take stock. But, it (disengagement process) is going as per schedule, and what was decided."
Government sources said that the Indian and Chinese armies withdrew from the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area near Patrolling Point-15 in the Eastern Ladakh sector as per the plan. After the withdrawal of troops from this conflict point, both sides have also completed verification of each other's position.
This conflict point near the Indian Army's patrolling point-15 along the LAC in eastern Ladakh was the last point to be resolved by both sides. Both sides had already settled conflict points in the Galwan Valley and on the north and south banks of Pangong Lake.
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In fact, on May 5, 2020, in the Pangong Lake area near the eastern Ladakh border, when the Chinese army showed aggression and tried to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC, Indian security forces retaliated strongly and thwarted the Chinese efforts. Since then there was a deadlock at this place.
Senior government sources said that the Chinese side wanted a complete withdrawal of troops from patrolling point-15 as well as from the eastern Ladakh sector, but India is in no hurry for this at the moment.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said on September 9 that the disengagement process in PP-15 would be completed by September 12.
"It has been agreed that all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the area by both sides will be dismantled and mutually verified. The landforms in the area will be restored to the pre-stand-off period by both sides," Bagchi had said.