According to Hindustan Times, the Indian army is also withdrawing armoured vehicles from Ladakh, but is maintaining contingency alert
The People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) on Thursday withdrew 200 tanks from the contact zone with Indian troops in East Ladakh. This was reported by the Hindustan Times on Friday, citing Indian government sources.
“India and China started mutual withdrawal of troops in East Ladakh on the morning of February 10. On Thursday, the PLA withdrew over 200 main battle tanks from the southern shore of the Pangong Tso border lake and deployed at least 100 heavy vehicles to move other military equipment from Ladakh”, – the paper quoted the sources as saying.
They said the Indian Army was also withdrawing armoured vehicles from Ladakh but was maintaining contingency alert in this sector of the Line of Actual Control. India and China plan to complete the withdrawal of troops from forward positions at Pangong Tso Lake by Saturday. After that, the two sides will start talks on withdrawal of troops from other areas in Ladakh.
On February 11, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament that New Delhi and Beijing had agreed to disengage troops on the northern and southern banks of Lake Pangong Tso. He stressed, however, that India would not allow “even an inch of its territory to be occupied”. “India has never accepted China’s baseless (territorial) claims and has always said that bilateral relations can only be maintained through efforts on both sides,” the minister said.
The situation on the India-China border near the Union Territory of Ladakh, including the Pangong Tso Lake area, escalated after clashes involving about 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers took place there in early May last year. More than 100 people on both sides were injured. On the night of June 15 to 16, more clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers broke out in the Galvan River area in the Union Territory of Ladakh. According to Indian army sources, no firearms were used, but sticks and stones were used. At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed and 76 injured. The Indian side also claims that around 45 Chinese soldiers were killed and wounded in the clashes. Since then, India and China have held nine rounds of talks at the military and diplomatic levels to normalise the situation in Ladakh.