WHERE THINGS STAND
Officials said the Finger Area—a set of eight cliffs jutting out of Sirijap range overlooking Pangong Lake—has been the hardest part of disengagement
Late last month, the Chinese ambassador said Beijing was not expanding its claim in Pangong Lake
Before PLA grabbed positions on Finger Four, which overlooks Indian deployments, the Indian Army would patrol up to Finger Eight
The new positions held by PLA have curtailed the scope of Indian patrols. Fingers Four and Eight are 8 km apart
Disengagement is also slow in Gogra area, although it has progressed somewhat smoothly at friction points in Galwan Valley and Hot Springs
Officials indicated that for talks to progress, China has to move its deployment back from its current positions to the status that existed as of April. This includes restoring status quo in the Finger Area
On August 10, the CDS told MPS that de-escalation in Ladakh could be a long-drawn process but the military is prepared for the long haul through the harsh winter
The ground situation remains unchanged in Ladakh sector, where both armies have deployed almost 100,000 soldiers and weaponry in forward and depth areas.