India is learnt to have insisted on disengagement from Pangong Tso Lake area and other friction points during the fifth round of Corps Commander level talks with China on ending the current military standoff between the two countries in eastern Ladakh.

The talks, which began at 11:30 hrs on Sunday at Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC, lasted nearly ten hours. The Indian side was led by 14 Corps commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh and the Chinese side was headed by South Xinjiang Military District chief Maj Gen Liu Lin.

While there was no official word available on the meeting, sources said the Indian side made it clear to the Chinese side that disengagement and deescalation was necessary for the restoration of peace and tranquility in India-China border areas.

This came after China not showed any signs of pulling back from the friction points, despite both countries agreeing on disengagement terms.

While the Pangong Tso Lake area remains a major sticking point, the other three friction areas are Depsang, Gogra-Hot Spring and the Galwan Valley, where a violent clash took place between the troops of the two countries on 15 June, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of casualties on the Chinese side.

The two generals are understood to have deliberated on the prevailing situation. The Indian side is believed to have told the Chinese side that it must implement in letter and spirit various agreements and protocols and restore the status quo ante that existed in early May.

The meeting took place amid reports that Beijing has started troop and material build-up in depth areas across the 3,488- km LAC. The Chinese side has started troop, artillery and armour build-up in three sectors of the LAC~western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

Since the PLA troops are not moving back as per the consensus, the Indian Army has kicked off the massive logistical exercise for advance winter stocking with rations, specialised clothing, prefabricated shelters, Arctic tents and other equipment to maintain. India has deployed over 35,000 troops in Ladakh.

The last four rounds of talks between the two generals were held on 6, 22 and 30 June and 14 July.