India-China troops to complete disengagement from disputed border area by September 12

Indian and Chinese soldiers will disengage at the disputed Gogra-Hot Springs area in Ladakh by September 12, India's foreign ministry said on Friday. The move comes after more than two years of a standoff following a deadly clash. The disengagement, which comes after several rounds of talks between senior military officials, is part of efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to avoid an escalation in tension between the two countries.

China has also confirmed the pull-out and the decision comes ahead of a meeting in Uzbekistan next week that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend.

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Indian and Chinese soldiers began withdrawing from the area in the western Himalayas on Thursday and the process will be completed by early next week, India's foreign ministry said.

"The two sides have agreed to cease forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner, resulting in the return of the troops of both sides to their respective areas," foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.

All temporary structures in the area erected by both militaries will also be dismantled as part of the agreement, he added.

A defence expert told Reuters that the two militaries are likely to create a buffer between their troops and stop patrolling in the area.

"This is a positive step," said Rakesh Sharma, a retired Indian lieutenant general who has served in Ladakh. "Face to face scenario has been obviated."

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Following a deadly clash in June 2020 that killed at least 20 Indian and unverified number of Chinese troops, similar buffer arrangements have been implemented in other areas in Ladakh where soldiers were deployed in close proximity.

With the standoff over PP-15 resolved, both sides are advancing the talks to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC for peace in the India-China border areas.

India and China share an un-demarcated 3,800 km (2,360 mile) frontier, where their troops previously adhered to long-standing protocols to avoid the use of any firearms along the de facto border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

(With inputs from agencies)