Border standoff breakthrough

New Delhi: India and China have agreed to pull back troops from a bitterly contested lake area high in the western Himalayas, the Indian defence minister says, in a breakthrough after a monthslong standoff on the disputed border.

Rajnath Singh told parliament yesterday the accord had been reached after several rounds of talks between military commanders and diplomats from the nucleararmed neighbours.

‘‘Our sustained talks with China have led to agreement on disengagement on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake,’’ he said.

China’s defence ministry said frontline troops from the two countries had begun to pull back from the shores of the lake on Wednesday.

The standoff began last April. — AAP