India-Nepal joint military exercise begins in Uttarakhand

A joint military exercise between India and Nepal began at Pithoragarh on Wednesday with soldiers from both the countries sharing their experiences of counter insurgency and counter terrorist operations. The military exercise, which is set to conclude of June 12, is called 'Surya Kiran' and is conducted alternatively in India and Nepal every six months.

Notably, Surya Kiran with Nepal is India's largest military exercise in terms of troop participation, a release from central command headquarters (Lucknow) said. Over 300 soldiers from both the countries are taking part in the exercise, the release added.

According to the official release, the aim of this exercise is to conduct battalion level joint training with emphasis on counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain.

The joint military exercise will enhance the level of defence cooperation between the two neighbours which will further strengthen bilateral relations, it said.