The joint exercise of the armies of India and Nepal- Surya Kiran will begin in Pithoragarh from September 20. As part of this joint exercise, the soldiers of both the countries will exchange war skills and disaster control as well as techniques to thwart terrorist incidents. Lieutenant general SS Mahal will launch the 15th Surya Kiran exercise.

According to the government of India, during this exercise, an infantry battalion from the Indian army and an equivalent strength from the Nepali army would be sharing their experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency operations over a prolonged period in their respective countries. As part of the exercise, both the armies would familiarise themselves with each other’s weapons, equipment, tactics, techniques and procedures of operating in a counter-insurgency environment in mountainous terrain. Also, there would be a series of expert academic discussions on various subjects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, high altitude warfare, jungle warfare and other aspects. The joint military training would culminate with a gruelling 48-hour exercise to validate the performance of both the armies in counter-insurgency in mountainous terrain. The exercise is part of an initiative to develop inter-operability and sharing expertise between the two nations.

Extensive preparations are being made in the army sector for the conduct of the joint exercise in Pithoragarh. About 300 soldiers from Nepal and 350 soldiers from India will participate in this exercise.

This joint military training is expected to go a long way in improving bilateral relations and also will be a major step towards further strengthening the traditional friendship between the two nations. The last edition of Surya Kiran was conducted in Nepal in 2019.