Photos show Chinese troops withdraw from Galwan Valley's Patrolling Point 14
Photos showing Chinese troops retreating two kilometers each along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley have emerged. The photos were taken at Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan. The Indian Army had increased the deployment of personnel in the area, post the tensions in the valley had spiked. The Indian Army jawans had obstructed the Chinese troops from constructing tents in the Galwan Valley.
On Monday, both Indian and Chinese troops had retreated two kilometers each along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Galwan Valley, where 20 Indian and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a violent face-off last month.
Chinese troops seen moving back from Patrolling Point 14 in Galwan Valley, where clashes between Indian and Chinese Army took place
Galwan Valley has remained tense ever since clashes between the Indian and Chinese Army had broken out in the area, resulting in the martyrdom of Indian soldiers.
Indian Army had restricted the Chinese troops from building tents inside the Indian territory in Galwan Valley, after the Chinese Army had stepped inside the territory. 20 Indian soldiers had died during clashes with Chinese Army in Galwan Valley in June
Chinese troops move back in Galwan Valley's Patrolling Point 14. 20 Indian soldiers had died during clashes with Chinese Army in Galwan Valley in June
According to top official sources, both sides had retreated two kilometers simultaneously on Sunday, following several rounds of talks which had begun after the clash on June 15.
The disengagement between Indian and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) happened as per the agreed terms in the Corps Commander's meeting.
With the retreat from both sides, a four-kilometer no-man zone has been created.
"Four kilometers in the highly mountainous terrain like Galwan valley deprives both sides to see each other's installations and reinforcements," sources said.
The two sides have also agreed, sources said, not to do any aerial surveillance of the retreated area, to rebuild trust which was badly damaged due to the June 15 bloodbath.
"As a result, neither side would really know what the other side is doing," a military source said.
Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft generally used for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, had been pressed into service in Ladakh for high altitude surveillance.
The P-8Is carried out similar surveillance operations during the 2017 India-China standoff in Doklam in Sikkim.
However, sources said PLA has removed tents and structures at PP14 and rearward movement of vehicles of the PLA were seen at general area Galwan, Hotsprings and Gogra.
The retreat on Sunday, sources said, is limited to these areas and not other contentious points along the LAC.
Around 30,000 troops of the Indian Army are in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with Chinese troops along the LAC in Ladakh, following the additional deployment of three brigades since the violent face-off last month.
Also Read | Chinese troops pull back 2 km from Patrol Point 14 in Galwan: Sources
