India, China complete troops' disengagement in disputed Himalayan region

BEIJING/NEW DELHI – India says its soldiers, along with their Chinese counterparts, have completed disengagement from a disputed part of their Himalayan border after months of tense patrolling.

Both sides fought a border war in 1962 and accused each other of violating the Line of Actual Control.

Earlier in June 2020, the latest flare-up turned deadly when at least 20 Indian troops were killed in a border battle near Galwan valley in Ladakh.

China on Friday confirmed the death of four soldiers in the June clash, its first confirmation of Chinese fatalities.

After the nine rounds of top military talks, both sides agreed to cut tensions on Line of Actual Control.

The nuclear-armed Asian neighbours announced their intention to withdraw forces from the lake area and senior military officials met on Saturday to assess how the operation was going.

A statement issued on Sunday said that the two sides positively appraised the smooth completion of disengagement of soldiers in the Pangong Lake area, noting that it was a significant step forward that provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in the Western sector.