India and China have completed the withdrawal of troops from two confrontation points along their disputed Himalayan border, as confirmed by an Indian defense official on Wednesday.
Last week, the two nuclear-armed neighbors reached an agreement to resume patrolling in the Indian territory of Ladakh, aimed at ending a four-year military standoff and fostering improved political and business relations.
The disengagement process, which began last week, has been completed, and verification is currently underway, the official told Reuters. Soldiers are scheduled to exchange sweets as a goodwill gesture on Thursday, with patrols set to resume soon after commanders finalize the details.
There has been no immediate response from Beijing regarding the troop pull-back.
The largely undemarcated border, approximately 4,000 km (2,500 miles) long, has been a source of tension between the two populous nations for decades, leading to a brief but deadly war in 1962.
Four years ago, clashes resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, prompting both sides to halt patrols at various points in Ladakh to prevent further confrontations while mobilizing tens of thousands of troops and military assets to the region.
While troops were withdrawn from five face-off points previously, the last such withdrawal occurred over two years ago.
Following the recent border agreement, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first formal talks in five years at a BRICS summit in Russia, agreeing to enhance communication and resolve conflicts to improve bilateral relations.
This thaw in relations is expected to bolster economic ties that have suffered due to border tensions, though Indian officials have indicated that New Delhi will proceed with caution given the existing trust deficit.
