RAWALPINDI/MOSCOW – Russian contingents including special forces have arrived in Pakistan for the two-week long counter-terrorism joint exercises, Druzhba (Friendship) 2020, which begin today, according to the military’s media wing.
The exercise is aimed at sharing both armies experiences in counter terrorism domain. Sky diving & hostage rescue operations will be highlights of DRUZHBA-V exercise, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a tweet on Thursday.
https://twitter.com/OfficialDGISPR/status/1324325352760582144
“The personnel of the Southern Military District arrived in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan aboard an Il-76 military transport plane for participating in the Friendship 2020 joint Russian-Pakistani drills. The international drills involve over 70 servicemen of the special operations company of the Southern Military District’s 49th combined arms army, and also officers of the command headquarters,” the press office said in a statement.
The drills will run at the Pakistani Army’s Tarbela special operations training ground and on the territory of the National Counterterrorism Center in Pabbi. The personnel from both countries will exchange experience and practice inter-operability in accomplishing a broad range of missions, in particular, eliminating illegal armed formations and conducting reconnaissance and search measures employing aircraft and technical reconnaissance capabilities, the statement says.
Russia and Pakistan have been holding the ‘Friendship’ drills since 2016. In October 2016, they held their first-ever joint military exercise in Pakistan. In 2017, over 200 servicemen took part in the drills, hosted by Russia at Minralney Vody in the North Caucasus at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level.
The drills have twice taken place in Russia. From Russia, special forces and motorized rifle units deployed in Karachay-Cherkessia and in the Stavropol Territory participate in them.
Pakistan’s defence ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities in recent years. Russia has over the past few years provided four Mi-35M combat and cargo helicopters to Pakistan.
