Major Breakthrough! Indian, Chinese troops begin disengagement from Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15)

New Delhi, Sept 8: India and China on Thursday announced that their frontline troops have begun disengagement from Patrol Point-15 (Gogra-Hot Springs area) in eastern Ladakh where the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been engaged in a standoff for over 28 months. This came after the 16th round of military talks to cool tensions in the sensitive sector.

 

The Defence Ministry, in a statement, said, "On 8th September 2022, according to the consensus reached in the 16th round of India China Corps Commander Level Meeting, the Indian and Chinese troops in the area of Gogra-Hotsprings (PP-15) have begun to disengage in a coordinated and planned way, which is conducive to the peace and tranquility in the border areas."

 

This disengagement between Indian Army and PLA from friction points on LAC in the Ladakh sector had been stuck for over a year after the last breakthrough came in August 2021 when the two armies pulled back their forward deployed troops from the Gogra sector (PP-17A).

 

Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A) and now PP-15, the two armies still have around 60,000 troops each and advanced weaponry deployed in Ladakh.

 

Indian and Chinese armies have been locked in a standoff since May 2020. The two armies held eight rounds of talks in 2020 with the first held in June of that year, five rounds in 2021, and have held three rounds of talks so far this year. After the 16th round of talks on July 17, India and China said they would stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels for a mutually acceptable resolution of problems along LAC at the earliest.