Indian and Chinese troops have started patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh after a gap of over four years, marking a massive de-escalation in border tensions sparked by a deadly clash between the two sides in 2020.
The soldiers patrolled areas in Depsang and Damchok on Thursday after informing the other side, a day after they completed military disengagement in these two areas.
Patrolling was stopped in the two areas in eastern Ladakh for about four and a half years after the two sides clashed in Galwan Valley in June 2020, leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers.
The militaries agreed to a patrolling agreement last week, aiming to end the four years of border tensions.
The border disengagement deal called for the removal of military personnel and infrastructure from Depsang and Damchok and the withdrawal of troops to pre-April 2020 positions.
The soldiers also exchanged sweets yesterday at five locations on the LAC, including Chushul Maldo and Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh, on the occasion of Diwali.