KATHMANDU: The Sixteenth edition of Surya Kiran, a joint military training exercise between India and Nepal, is scheduled to begin on Friday.

The training session will be held at the Integrated Military Training Centre in Saljhandi, Rupandehi district, and will focus on counterterrorism, martial arts, humanitarian aid, natural disasters, and environmental preservation.
The Surya Kirani is a 14-day joint exercise focusing on counterinsurgency operations in jungle and hilly terrain, the Nepal Army said.

Throughout the exercise, the forces discuss their lessons learned from various counter-insurgency campaigns. In a counterinsurgency setting, both forces get familiar with one another's weaponry, gear, tactics, strategies, and operating procedures.

A panel of the Indian Army has already arrived in Rupandehi.

According to the Nepal Army, up to 350 soldiers from both sides would participate in the combined drill. The event will end on December 29. 

The joint exercise first commenced in 2011. The fifteenth edition of Surya Kiran had taken place on September 20, 2021, in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

G7 considers increasing air defense as fighting continues in Ukraine

Conflict in Ukraine interrupts the UN summit on biodiversity