India, Nepal to conduct 2-week long military exercise from Wednesday

NEW DELHI: Armies of India and Nepal will carry out a two-week long military exercise beginning Wednesday in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh region with an aim to deepen counter-terror cooperation.

The Indian Army said the 'Surya Kiran' exercise is expected to enhance the level of defence cooperation between the two militaries.It said the focus of the exercise will be to enhance cooperation in conducting counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain. 

Around 300 soldiers from Nepal and equal numbers from India are expected to participate in the exercise.

"Indian and Nepal Army would be sharing their experiences gained during the conduct of various counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations," the Army said in a statement.

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

The exercise is taking place nearly three weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Himalayan nation during which both the countries decided to boost their cooperation in a range of areas including defence and security.