Aundh, Pune: The seventh edition of the joint training exercise between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army, Exercise Mitra Shakti concluded on 14 December at Aundh Military Station, Pune. A contingent comprising of 120 personnel each from Sri Lankan and Indian Army participated in the exercise. The two-week long exercise had commenced on 01 December and focused on enhancing interoperability for developing the capability to undertake joint operations in counter-terrorism operations under United Nations mandate. The themes chosen for the joint training exercise were both, live & contemporary affecting both the nations, the joint training exercise concluded with a 48-hour long culmination exercise which was witnessed by Senior Military & Defence officials of the Indian Army as well as representatives of the Sri Lankan Army. The culmination of exercise Mitra Shakti showcased the standards achieved by the contingents during the joint training & demonstrated the commitment as well as capabilities of the participating armies in working closely with each other to maintain world peace under the United Nations flag.

Both the contingents displayed a high degree of professionalism while practising various counter-terrorism drills which has been a great learning experience for both the contingents. The standards displayed by the contingents delivered a strong & reassuring message with regards to the intent, commitment & capability of both the armies towards maintaining world peace & upholding the mandate of the United Nations.

The conduct of such bilateral military training exercises is an important step to uphold the values of peace, prosperity, international brotherhood & trust. The exercise was a grand success and has taught valuable lessons to the troops of the participating countries.