ISLAMABAD: The closing ceremony of a joint counter-terrorism exercise conducted between the armies of South Africa and Pakistan in the northwestern hill station of Cherat concluded on Sunday, the Pakistani military media’s wing said.
The two-week Iqbal-I exercise was held from Oct. 15 to Oct. 27 at Cherat in which combat teams from Pakistan’s Special Services Group (SSG), the Pakistan Army and the Republic of South Africa Special Forces took part, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army’s media wing, said.
“The exercise was aimed at refining the drills, procedures and techniques involved in CT operations through joint training, besides harnessing the historic military-to-military relations among the friendly countries,” the ISPR said.
The commandant of Pakistan’s Special Operation School attended the closing ceremony as chief guest while the chief of staff of South Africa’s Special Forces, Col. SS Lechoenyo, also witnessed the closing ceremony.
“The troops displayed the highest standards of professional excellence during the conduct,” the ISPR said.
Pakistan routinely holds joint air, ground and sea exercises with friendly nations to foster interoperability and joint deployment concepts to counter threats to global peace.
Several cadets from these nations annually visit the South Asian country, which has fought back militancy for decades, to undergo specialized military training.
