Kathmandu, December 17. Armies of Nepal and India are conducting bilateral joint military exercises at the Nepali Army Battle School in the Saljhandi forest of Rupandehi.

The 14-day combined battalion exercise “Surya Kiran” was first held in 2010 in order to provide a knowledge-sharing platform for the neighboring armies who practice defense strategies in a similar geography.

The 16th(present) edition of the annual event that commenced on February 17 will end on December 29.

A total of 668 soldiers from the two countries are currently receiving rigorous training on ‘counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations in forests of the Himalayas.’ During the event, the troops will also perform drills on humanitarian assistance, disaster rescue, and relief operations.

On December 14, 334 Indian soldiers representing the Fifth Battalion of the Fifth Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) arrived in Saljhandi. The team arrived under the commandership of Colonel Himanshu Bahuguna. 

334 personnel from Bhawani Box Battalion led by Battalion Commander Lieutenant colonel Bimal Kumar Wagle are participating from the Nepali side.

Through the official release on Friday, the Nepali Army said the major objective of the “Surya Kiran Exercise” is to strengthen the centuries-old relationship between the defense forces of the two neighboring countries.