Indian Army Resumes Restricted Patrolling At Depsang Plains As Disengagement With China Progresses

Days after the disengagement process between the Indian Army and China’s PLA concluded, patrolling began at the crucial Depsang Plains, albeit in a restricted format. Patrolling in Demchok area began on 1 November.

Indian Army and PLA exchange sweets last week at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on Diwali.

Source : Indian Army

India-China LAC: The Indian Army finally began patrolling at the strategically crucial Depsang Plains days after it completed the process of disengagement with the Chinese troops on October 31. The patrolling exercise in Depsang, however, was carried out in a restricted manner on Monday as the Indian Army was not able to patrol all the points it used to visit earlier before the military standoff between India and China began in April-May 2020.

“Following the consensus reached between the Indian and Chinese side for disengagement and resumption of patrolling in Depsang and Demchok, the Indian Army patrol to one of the patrolling points in Depsang was successfully conducted today. This is yet another positive step towards maintaining peace and tranquility on the LAC,” said a statement issued by the Fire and Fury Corps in Ladakh.  

The Y-Junction area of the Depsang Plains, also called the ‘Bottleneck Area’, gives India access to five patrolling points (PP) – PP10, 11, 11A, 12 & 13. The Chinese had blocked the Army from patrolling in these points, but the blockade will be removed now in a gradual manner, Army sources told ABP Live.

The ⁠patrolling modalities are still under discussion between ground commanders at the level of Brigadiers. Patrolling will be resumed in full scale in both Depsang as well as Demchok when the troops settle down at their original positions following the completion of disengagement.

India had resumed patrolling in the Demchok area since Friday, 1 November, following an agreement reached with China on October 21, which was concluded on October 30.

Randhir Jaiswal, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, last week said, “On 21st October 2024, the last phase of disengagement was agreed upon between India and China. As a result, verification patrolling has commenced on mutually agreed terms in Demchok and Depsang.