India and China have jointly verified the troop disengagement in the last remaining friction point on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that had remained after the Galwan clash, as the troops pulled back from their respective positions in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area.
"Both sides have completed disengagement in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area near Patrolling Point-15 in a phased, coordinated and verified manner, resulting in the return of the troops of both sides to their respective areas," defense sources in New Delhi said.
The two sides have also dismantled temporary military infrastructure that was built by two armies after the Galwan clash.
However, a complete de-escalation is still pending in the eastern Ladakh sector, where around 60,000 troops have been deployed on each side of the border with other military assets since June 2020.
"Complete de-escalation at the moment would not be possible as India would want to address the issues in the Daulat Beg Oldie sector and the Demchok area, where Indian patrols are still being objected to by the Chinese military," sources told ANI news.
After 16 rounds of military commander-level talks between June 2020 and July 2022, the disengagement of troops and machines has been completed both north and south of Pangong Tso and the Gogra Hot-Springs.
However, talks are yet to be held on Demchok and Depsang Plains.
The border deadlock in Demchok and Depsang Plains are not linked with the June 2020 clash, which had erupted after the two sides accused each other of trespassing the mutually agreed LAC.
India shares a 488-km border with China ranging from Arunachal Pradesh in east to Ladakh in the west, along the loosely demarcated LAC.