Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives hold tri-lateral counter terrorism training exercises

Islamabad: Sri Lankan troops have joined Maldives and Pakistan troops in a tri-lateral military training exercise on counter terrorism in the country’s northwest, a defence statement said in Islamabad.

The two-week-long exercise was focused on counter terrorism operations and sharing of field combat experience of three armed forces.

Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif on Thursday visited the National Counter Terrorism Training Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi and observed the Pakistan-Sri Lanka-Maldives Trilateral Exercise ‘Eagle Dash-I’.

The Military Chief said that “terrorism is a global phenomenon and terrorists have no country, religion or sect,” and underscored that such exercises would consolidate the special relationship between the three forces and help eliminate terrorism from the region.

He said that Pakistan is “willing to share our experiences with the world for the benefit of humanity and as an obligation towards international peace”.

According to the Pakistan military, a large number of friendly countries have requested the Pakistan Army to organise training for their troops in the state-of-the-art Counter Terrorism Training Centre in view of the successful anti-terrorism campaign codenamed ‘Zarb-e-Azb’.

So far the Pakistan Army has conducted joint exercises with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Jordan to enhance combat efficiency, a military statement said.

Praising the performance and potential of the trainees, General Raheel Sharif said such training would enhance the confidence of their law enforcement agencies and also foreign military delegates from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and South Africa.