New Delhi: The 4th edition of joint military exercise ‘Dustlik’ between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army commenced on Monday in Foreign Training Node, Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand).

"45 Soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army are participating in this exercise which is aimed at promoting positive relations between both the armies," read a statement issued by the Indian government.

The Indian Army contingent comprises of troops from an Infantry Battalion from the Garhwal Rifles Regiment.

The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in November 2019.

The 14 days long joint exercise would focus on joint counter-terrorist operations in mountainous and semi-urban scenario under UN mandate and will include field training exercises, combat discussions, lectures, demonstrations and culminate with a validation exercise.

Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats, while learning to exploit new generation equipment and technology for conducting joint operations. Due emphasis is being laid on increasing interoperability between forces.

The bonhomie, espirit-de-corps and goodwill generated during the exercise will go a long way in further strengthening the bonds between both armies by enabling understanding of each other’s organisation and methodology of conducting various operations.