Galwan skirmish: Chinese Army moves back tents, troops by 1-2 km

China has pulled back its troops in the Galwan Valley by 1.5 kms and a buffer zone has been created. This is the first sign of a pullback of the Chinese troops along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Chinese Army has moved back tents, vehicles and troops by 1-2 kilometres from locations where disengagement was agreed upon at Corps Commander-level talks, Indian Army sources said on Monday. Chinese heavy armoured vehicles are still present in the depth areas in the Galwan river area. The Indian Army is monitoring the situation with caution, Army sources informed. The third round of Corps Commander-level meeting between armies of India and China went on for 12 hours, said Army sources on July 1. The first two rounds had taken place in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In the second round of Corps Commander-level talks held on June 22, both sides reached a mutual consensus to disengage in the Eastern Ladakh sector, Army sources said. The military commanders from both countries had met initially on June 6 and agreed to disengage at multiple locations. India had asked the Chinese side to return to pre-May 4 military positions along the LAC.

Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in Galwan valley on June 15-16 after an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation. Indian intercepts revealed that the Chinese side suffered 43 casualties including dead and seriously injured in the face-off.

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India and China have been involved in talks to ease the ongoing border tensions. News of China pulling back its troops comes three days after Prime Minister’s supreme visit to Ladakh where he addressed the soldiers and said that the age of expansionism is over and expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back.

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