Pangong Tso in focus as troops disengage at 3 friction points

Army Chief Gen Naravane at the inauguration of six BRO bridges Thursday. (PTI)

Chinese and Indian forces Thursday stepped back 2 km from Patrolling Point 17A at the Gogra post, the third friction point — PP 14 in Galwan Valley and PP 15 in Hot Springs sector being the other two — as part of the first round of disengagement on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

This clears the decks for another round of talks, especially on Pangong Tso where even after some thinning out, Chinese troops are still present in large numbers at Finger 4 on the northern banks of the lake — they have come in 8 km, west of Finger 8 which India says marks the LAC.

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In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: “Following the consensus reached at the commander-level talks, the Chinese and India border troops have been taking effective measures to disengage at Galwan Valley and other areas in the western sector. The overall situation at the China-India boundary is stable and ameliorating.”

“The two sides will continue to maintain dialogue and communication through military and…