Troop disengagement not yet complete in Ladakh: India disputes China claim

MEA spokesperson said the senior commanders of the two militaries will be meeting in the "near future" to work out steps to complete the process of disengagement

India on Thursday said the process for disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh has not yet been completed though some progress was made, an assertion that came two days after China claimed frontline troops of the two countries have "completed" this exercise at most locations along their border.

China had also said that the situation on the ground was easing.

"There has been some progress made towards this objective but the disengagement process has yet not been completed," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told an online media briefing when asked about the Chinese claim on Tuesday.

He also said the senior commanders of the two militaries will be meeting in the "near future" to work out steps to complete the process of disengagement.

"As we have stated earlier, the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is the basis of our bilateral relationship," Srivastava said.

"Therefore, we expect that the Chinese side will sincerely work with us for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas at the earliest as agreed to by the Special Representatives," he added.