New Delhi: Strengthening their ties, armies
of Indian and France will for the first time conduct a
two-week counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism exercise in
Chaubatia in Uttaranchal.
"The exercise codenamed `Shakti` would start on
October 9 where both the armies would practise their counter
insurgency and counter terrorism skills as part of exchanges
under bilateral military ties," army officials said here.
This will be the first such exercise involving armies of
the two countries and it will be conducted under the UN
mandate, they said.
100 personnel from 2 Bihar Regiment will represent Indian
army while an equal number of soldiers from French 13 Mountain
Battalion would participate in the joint drills.
Meanwhile, sharing its two-and-half-decade long experience
of handling counter-insurgency operations, Indian Army would
be holding joint exercises with 16 countries this year.
"Indian Army has maximum exposure of insurgency and
militancy infested areas. Various countries have shown their
interest in conducting joint exercises with us. In recent past
we had joint exercises with the armies of US, UK, Russia,
China and Mongolia," the officials said.
PTI
