In a major development, India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement at Pangong Tso in Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said today in parliament.

The statement comes a day after China’s Defence Ministry announced that Chinese and Indian troops on the southern and northern shores of Pangong Tso began “synchronized and organized disengagement” in line with the consensus reached between Corps Commanders when they last met on January 24.

The move signals the first major breakthrough in talks to resolve the nine-month military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

The official said reduction of troops will be visible on the ground in the next 2-3 days.

Not only troops but mechanised armoured elements and temporary structures such as tents and camps will be removed.

“I want to assure this House that in these talks we have not conceded anything,” Singh asserted while speaking in the parliament. “The agreement that we have been able to reach with the Chinese side for disengagement in the Pangong lake area envisages that both sides will cease their forward deployments in a phased, coordinated and verified manner.”

Singh said there were still some outstanding issues on deployment and patrolling at some other points along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and these would be the focus of further discussions.

The north and south banks of Pangong have witnessed firing in the air on multiple occasions since August 30, a first of its kind escalation since 1975. On June 15, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent physical clashes with the Chinese.