India-China border row | Satellite images confirm initial disengagement in Ladakh’s Demchok, Depsang: Reports

Hours after Indian defence officials announced on Friday (Oct 25) that the disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops started at two friction points in Demchok and Depsang Plains in the Eastern Ladakh sector, satellite images confirmed the development, according to media reports on Saturday.

The satellite images, which were released by the US-based Maxar Technologies on Friday, showed a reduction in structures at multiple locations, a report by India Today on Saturday said.

The satellite images also showed the visible dismantling of structures and shelters over recent days.

The India Today report said that the biggest confirmation of the disengagement process was an image from the Depsang area near Patrol Point 10, where a large shelter that had been in existence since the standoff days was removed.

Images of this location from August 7 show a large structure, whereas the site was seen flattened in the images released by Maxar on Friday.

The report pointed out that images from another point in Depsang showed that most structures at a military outpost had been moved since an earlier image of the same location.

Meanwhile, a comparison of images taken on October 9 and Friday at another area in Demchok revealed the removal of shelters, corresponding with the disengagement announcement.

Demchok and Despang are the last two friction points of the 2020 standoff (between India and China) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

On Friday, Indian defence officials told the news agency ANI that as per the agreement between the two countries, the Indian troops started pulling back equipment to rear locations in the respective areas.

Earlier this week, India and China reached an agreement on patrolling along the LAC. 

“…As a result of the discussions that have taken place over the last several weeks, an agreement has been arrived at, on patrolling arrangements along the line of actual control in the India-China border area, and this is leading to dis-engagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020,” Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday.

(With inputs from agencies)