Indian and Nepalese troops during an earlier edition of Surya Kiran. (File photo.)
New Delhi: Soldiers from the Indian and the Nepalese armies will conduct their annual “Surya Kiran” joint military exercise. This year’s edition, “Surya Kiran – 2022”, will start from Friday, December 16 at the Nepal Army Battle School in Saljhandi, Nepal.
This will be the 16th edition of the drill, which is held the two countries alternatively each year. The two-week exercise will conclude on December 29.
The Surya Kiran exercises are held to boost the overall interoperability between the two militaries. This year, the Indian side will be represented by 5 Gorkha Rifles and Nepalese side will be represented by Shree Bhawani Baksh Battalion.
They will hold war games and train together in jungle warfare, mountain warfare, and counterterrorism operations. They will also train in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) under UN mandate.
In a media release, Indian Army PRO Colonel Sudhir Chamoli said.
“The two armies, through these contingents, shall be sharing the experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency operations over the years in their respective countries.”
“The joint exercise would focus on evolution of combined drills for planning and conduct of tactical operations at unit level in counterterrorism operations and disaster response mechanism in general, and role of armed forces in management of disaster,” he said.
The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation which will further foster the bilateral relations between the two nations, the Army PRO added.
Last year it was held in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh.
