Amid disengagement with China, Army chief witnesses Exercise Parvat Prahar in eastern Ladakh

Leh [India], September 10 (ANI): Amid the ongoing disengagement with China in the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area on the LAC, Army chief Gen Manoj Pande on Saturday witnessed wargames in eastern Ladakh on the first day of his two-day visit to the region. 

The visit by the Army chief to the Ladakh sector is taking place on the third day of the disengagement process between India and China at the Gogra Heights-Hot Springs area, which was the last of friction points created after the May 2020 aggression by the Chinese troops that was yet to resolved by the two sides.

During the visit, Gen Pande witnessed the wargames codenamed Exercise Parvat Prahar and was briefed on operational preparedness by commanders on the ground, the Indian Army said.

During the visit, he interacted with the troops and complimented them for their steadfastness and professional standards, the officials said.

Moving towards resolving the issues created on the LAC post-May 2020, India and China have agreed to dismantle and verify the temporary structures and other allied infrastructure created in the Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15) area of the LAC in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said on Friday.

This disengagement process follows the sixteenth round of talks between the Corps Commanders of India and China that was held at Chushul Moldo Meeting Point on July 17, 2022.

Since then, the two sides had maintained regular contact to build on the progress achieved during the talks to resolve the relevant issues along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas.

"As a result, both sides have now agreed on disengagement in the area of Gogra-Hot Springs (PP-15). As per the agreement, the disengagement process in this area started on September 8 at 0830 hrs and will be completed by 12 September 2022," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said. (ANI)