Mitra Shakti 21: India, Sri Lanka joint military drill to begin on October 4

India and Sri Lanka will carry out a 12-day mega military exercise from Monday with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation. The eighth edition of the 'Mitra Shakti' exercise will be conducted at Combat Training School in Sri Lanka's Ampara from October 4 to 15.

New Delhi: India and Sri Lanka will carry out a mega military exercise from Monday with a focus on enhancing counter-terror cooperation.

An Indian contingent has departed for Sri Lanka to take part in the 8th edition of Mitra Shakti, a joint military exercise between the two nations.

The 12-day long exercise, aimed at bringing synergy and cooperation at grass root level between both Armies, will be held at Combat Training School, Ampara, in Sri Lanka from October 4 to 15.

An all arms contingent of 120 personnel of the Indian Army will participate in the drill along with a battalion of the Sri Lankan Army. The aim of the exercise is to promote close relations between the Armies of both countries and share the best practices in counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations.

The exercise will involve tactical level operations at sub unit level and will go a long way in further strengthening the relationship between both the South Asian Nations. It will act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at grass root level between both Armies.

In the backdrop of the blasts, India and Sri Lanka enhanced their anti-terror cooperation. The seventh edition of the Mitra Shakti exercise was conducted at Foreign Training Node in Pune in 2019.