The Pangong Tso is located at 13,900 feet in eastern Ladakh
NEW DELHI: There has been a slight further reduction in the number of Chinese troops in the Pangong Tso area of eastern Ladakh but no discernible pullback, as in Galwan Valley and Gogra-Hot Springs, where ‘buffer zones’ have been created to prevent clashes between rival troops in the high-altitude region.
The initial withdrawal of Chinese soldiers from ‘Finger-4’ to ‘Finger-5’ area on the north bank of Pangong Tso, if and when it happens, will signal the completion of Phase-I of the de-escalation plan.
The PLA has pulled down some tents, moved back a few vehicles and slightly reduced its troops at Finger-4 but not vacated the area yet. The troop confrontation at the lake (at an altitude of 13,900 feet), in fact, is proving to be the toughest to resolve with over 3,000 PLA soldiers occupying the 8-km stretch fr