Generals from both sides hold talks

NEW DELHI: In the latest round of military contact between India and China, army delegations from both sides on Wednesday held talks in eastern Ladakh to ease tensions along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) where rival soldiers have been locked in a stand-off for more than five weeks, two senior officers familiar with the development said.

Indian and Chinese delegations, led by major general-rank officers, met at Patrolling Point 14 near the Galwan area as part continuing efforts to resolve the confrontation that has eased slightly with limited disengagement of forces at some LAC hotspots, said one of the two officers, both of whom requested anonymity.

The discussions between the military commanders of the two armies, Major General Abhijit Bapat, commander of the Karubased HQs 3 Infantry Division and his Chinese counterpart were “positive and frank”, said the second officer cited above. It was, however, unclear what progress the border talks made.

This was the fourth round of talks between the two-star generals to break the stalemate that began with a violent confrontation between rival patrols near Pangong Tso on night of May 5-6.

China has begun withdrawing its soldiers from three hot spots along the LAC, with India reciprocating by pulling back its forces deployed in those pockets, as reported by Hindustan Times on Wednesday.

The focus is now on resolving the situation on the northern bank of Pangong Tso, which has been at the centre of the ongoing border scrap and where troops are still locked in a face-off.

More military talks are planned in the coming days to ease border tensions. “Limited military disengagement” has taken place at the Galwan valley, Patrolling Point 15 and the Hot Springs area where Chinese soldiers have pulled back two to three km along with their infantry combat vehicles.