India and Sri Lanka start 12th Mitra Shakti military exercise
A 170-member Indian military group has travelled to Sri Lanka for the joint drills scheduled from November 13 to 26.
A 170-member Indian military contingent has left for Sri Lanka to take part in the 12th edition of the Mitra Shakti 2026 joint military exercise, according to the Times of India.
The drills are scheduled to take place from November 13 to 26 at the Army Training School in Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of Defence stated that the group consists mainly of troops from a Rajputana Rifles battalion, alongside personnel from the Indian Air Force and other services.
The annual bilateral exercise is held alternately in India and Sri Lanka to improve interoperability and the ability of both armies to perform joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban settings.
Planned activities for the 2026 edition include tactical drills such as urban patrolling, area ambushes, vehicle convoy protection, crowd dispersal, and combined arms operations against fortified positions.
The exercise will end with a joint validation exercise where troops from both nations demonstrate the operational procedures and tactics practiced during the training.