India and China have completed the withdrawal of troops from part of their disputed Himalayan border, according to a joint statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Defense.
According to communications, soldiers on Saturday completed their withdrawal from Pangong Tso Lake.
Collisions at the poorly marked border led to the deaths of 24 troops last June.
Both sides say they will work to reduce tensions on other parts of the border, or Line of Actual Control.
China and India announced their intention to withdraw forces from the lake area on February 11, and commanders met on Saturday to determine how the operation was going.
The two parties welcomed the smooth completion of the disengagement of frontline troops in the Pangong Lake area and noted that it was an important step forward that provided a good basis for resolving other remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector, “reads Sunday’s statement.
Commanders held nine rounds of talks to get to this stage.
The statement acknowledged that other parts of the border remained tense and looked forward to ongoing talks.
“The two parties agreed to follow the important consensus of their leaders, to continue their communication and dialogue, to stabilize and control the situation on the ground, to find a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issues on a stable and to work together peacefully and to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. ‘
Prior to the completion of the Pangong Tso Lake withdrawal round, troops from each side on the north and south coasts were located in areas claimed by both sides.
Months of tension have heightened fears that the continued deployment of thousands of troops in the Ladakh region and China-led Aksai Chin could lead to an escalating conflict.
India and China have been embroiled in a border dispute for decades and went to war in 1962. The border is 3,440 km (2,100 miles) long and poorly defined.
Rivers, lakes and snow caps along the border mean that the line can shift, bringing soldiers face-to-face at many points, leading to confrontation. However, the two countries have a long agreement not to use guns or explosives along the border.
In January, troops on both sides were injured in a clash in the northeast of Sikkim state in India.
Twenty Indian troops were killed in June’s clash in the Galvan Valley. China admitted two days ago that four of its soldiers were killed in the encounter. Weapons allegedly used included stones and nail-laden clubs.
According to China, the incident involved ‘fist fighting’.