Two-week long Pak-Saudi joint military exercise concludes

Saudi and Pakistani soldiers aim for the target as they participate in a two-week long joint military exercise between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the mountain town of Pabbi, Pakistan. (@modgovksa/Twitter)

• Exercise is focusing on counter-terrorism operations, sharing experiences and practices
• AL-SAMSAAM exercises conducted on a biennial basis between the two nations since 2004

ISLAMABAD: A two-week long joint military exercise between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia concluded at the National Counter-Terrorist Center in the mountain town of Pabbi in Punjab province, the Pakistan army’s media wing said on Friday.
As part of a longstanding defense cooperation deal between the two countries, last month Pakistan and Saudi Arabia launched a two-month-long joint military exercise in the Pakistani city of Multan.
The concluding ceremony was attended by Saudi ambassador to Pakistan Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki and other Pakistani and Saudi officials.
“Lt. Gen. Shaheen Mazher Mahmood, Commander Mangla Corps and Major General Abdullah Eid Al Otaibi of Royal Saudi Land Forces attended the ceremony,” the army’s media wing said in a statement.
“The joint exercise focused on Counter-Terrorism operations including Cordon and Search, combat patrolling and counter Improvised Explosive Device drills. The exercise provided an opportunity to benchmark respective operational practices and share each other’s experiences.”
In September last year, Saudi and Pakistani forces conducted the joint Naseem Al-Bahr 13 naval exercise in the Arabian Sea near Karachi, with Saudi F-15 aircraft participating in a missile firing drill for the first time.