'Druzhba V': Opening ceremony of Pakistan-Russia counterterrorism exercise held in Tarbela

RAWALPINDI: The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Sunday the special forces of Pakistan and the Russian Federation participated in the opening ceremony of a two-week counterterrorism exercise, 'Druzhba V,' with officials from both countries in attendance.

In an update on Twitter, the ISPR said the Druzhba V opening ceremony was held at Tarbela earlier today.

"Pak-Russian Federation Special Forces are participating in two weeks long counterterrorism exercise," the statement added. "National anthems of both countries were played at the start of the ceremony."

The ceremony was attended by the Russian ambassador to Pakistan, Danila Ganich, the ISPR added.

According to the statement, senior officials from the armies of Pakistan and Russia were present on the occasion.

Russia's special forces arrive in Pakistan

The Russian special forces had arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-week long military training aimed at sharing the experiences of both the armies in the counter-terrorism domain.

Explaining the purpose behind the foreign team's visit, the ISPR said sky diving and hostage rescue operations would be the highlights of Druzhba V.

The first-ever joint exercise between Islamabad and Moscow took place in 2016, while in September, a contingent of the Pakistan armed forces participated in the opening ceremony of a multinational military exercise, named Kavkaz-2020, held in Russia's Astrakhan.