11th annual Indo-Nepal army exercise from March 7

Lucknow March 2 (IANS) An Indo-Nepal joint training exercise Surya Kiran-XI is scheduled to be conducted at Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) between March 7 and 20 under the aegis of Panchshul Brigade of the Surya Command an official of the Central Command said on Thursday.

The exercise is part of a series of joint training with friendly foreign countries by the Indian armed forces.

This is a battalion-level joint exercise undertaken between Indian and Nepal armed forces. In this exercise an infantry battalion from the Indian Army and an equivalent strength from the Nepal Army would be exercising in conduct of various counter-insurgency operations over a prolonged period. Both the armies immensely stand to benefit mutually from their varied experiences the official added.

The Surya Kiran series of exercises are conducted biannually alternatively in India and Nepal.

The aim of these exercises is to conduct joint training in counter-insurgency operations in mountainous terrain with a view to promoting military relations and increasing interoperability.

The exercise also focuses on other important aspects such as Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) and environmental conservation among others.

--IANS
md/sm/dg