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Days after India and China held the 19th round of military talks on resolving existing issues on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Indian military commanders on the ground are discussing possible modalities for limited disengagement at certain mutually-accepted points along the boundary, The Indian Express has learnt.
The discussions, an official source said, are aimed at setting the stage for limited disengagement along the LAC on further orders, even as regular interactions between local military commanders on the ground will continue alongside other confidence-building measures.
“A limited disengagement is being chalked out in phases. However, its implementation is subject to approvals at appropriate levels,” a source said.
This development is taking place at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are in Johannesburg for the BRICS Summit and all eyes are on a possible meeting between the two leaders on the Summit sidelines. Moreover, Xi is scheduled to travel to Delhi for the G20 Summit next month.
Last week, India and China held Major General-level talks at Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) and Chushul, based on which the subordinate commanders have been chalking out various possible plans for limited redeployment of troops in their respective areas of responsibility.
The plans, the source said, are being put together to examine various possibilities of disengagement in a holistic manner along the LAC.
Talks between respective brigade commanders and commanding officers on the ground will follow over the next several weeks.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that the Major General-level talks were held to decide on the finer details of resolving the existing issues, including the legacy issues along the LAC as well as gaining access to all pre-2020 patrolling points along the LAC.
The military commanders had discussed several issues such as mutually ensuring that no new posts are constructed in close proximity to the LAC and identifying specific limits of patrolling.
Resolving objections to each other’s activities on ground through local commanders talks, building confidence in each other and working towards resolving the legacy issues of Depsang Plains and Demchok among other ground rules for patrolling and engagement in their areas of responsibility were also discussed between the two sides.
The Indian side was represented at the two locations by Major General P K Mishra and Major General Hariharan, the respective General Officer Commanding of the Trishul Division and a Rashtriya Rifles force which had moved to Ladakh from J&K in 2021.
The Trishul Division primarily looks after the northern part of eastern Ladakh, including areas along the strategic Darbuk-Shyok-DBO (DS-DBO) road, while the RR force oversees the southern parts of eastern Ladakh.
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