With the troops pulling back from the face-off site at the Pangong Tso (lake) in February without any hitch, the Corps Commanders of India and China on Friday will hold talks to firm up plan for disengagement from other flash-points at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
It will the 11th round of talks between the two commanders since the face-offs began at the LAC in May last year and lasted for more than ten months. The forthcoming talks are likely to commence at 10.30 am in Chushul sector of Ladakh, sources said here on Thursday.
The Commanders are expected to focus on disengagement of troops in remaining friction points, they said adding India will insist on early disengagement of troops in Gogra and Hot Springs besides pressing for resolution of pending issues in Depsang plains.
The first breakthrough in the ten-month long face-off at multiple sites at the LAC when the troops of India and China returned to their respective posts from the southern and northern banks of the Pangong Tso. The process lasted more than ten days and the local level commanders from both the sides constantly monitored the situation.
Incidentally, the first face-off on May 5 also started from the Pangong Tso and troops from both the sides exchanged blows leaving some of them injured.
Soon, more than five points at the LAC in eastern Ladakh saw stand-offs and a bloody brawl on June 15 in the Galwan valley. Twenty Indian soldiers including the commanding officer were killed. More than 40 Chinese soldiers were also killed but the Chinese so far have not officially made the figure public.
This brawl saw India and China ramping up their military presence and at present more than one lakh troops are facing each other on the LAC in Ladakh. Moreover, both the armies brought forward their long-range artillery guns and armour adding to tension.
As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed withdrawal of troops and weapons from the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement.
In the subsequent military talks on February 20, India insisted on resolution of outstanding issues including in Depsang, Hot Springs and Gogra.
India has been insisting that peace and tranquility along the border is essential for overall ties between the two countries.
Last week, India hoped that China will work with it to ensure disengagement of troops in remaining areas of eastern Ladakh at the earliest.
It said de-escalation of tension alone will lead to restoration of peace and tranquility in border areas and provide conditions for progress of bilateral ties.
In late March, Army chief General M M Naravane said the threat to India has only 'abated' following the disengagement in Pangong lake areas but it has not gone away altogether.