Press Releases

Embassy of India

PRESS RELEASE

India-Kyrgyz Joint Special Forces Exercise Khanjar

1.  The 10^th edition of the India-Kyrgyz Special Forces Exercise Khanjar concluded in Bishkek on 18^th March, 2023. The exercise was held from 6^th to 18^th March 2023 in the Kyrgyz Republic.

2.  The first edition of the iconic exercise was held in 2011 in India. During the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Kyrgyz Republic in 2015, he proposed that Exercise Khanjar should become an annual event, which was accepted by the Kyrgyz side. Since then, the exercise has been held alternatively in India and the Kyrgyz Republic every year.

3.  During the exercise, the elite Special Forces of India and the Kyrgyz Republic exchanged experiences and best practices in counter-terrorism operations and special forces operations in built-up areas and mountainous terrain.

4.  Exercise Khanjar aptly represents the India-Kyrgyz Strategic Partnership and acknowledges the common threats of international terrorism and extremism faced by the two sides. Exercise Khanjar-X gave an opportunity to the Armed Forces of Indian and the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen defence ties and reaffirm the close bilateral relations between the two sides.

Bishkek                                                                                      

Kyrgyz Republic

20^th March, 2023