Military exercise concludes in KSAPM, COAS, Saudi king among 20 dignitaries who witnessed ‘North Thunder’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif witnessed the concluding ceremony of the North Thunder military exercises on Thursday along with 20 heads of states and governments.

Prominent among others who witnessed these exercises in the training area of the kingdom’s deserts of Hafar Ul Batin city were King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmad Al JaberUAE Deputy Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The display of the skills of the troops and performance of the war machinery with the use of live ammunition was the hallmark of the event where Pakistan’s troops and equipment impressed the dignitaries. The military contingent from Pakistan was prominent in the exercise area where Director General Pakistan Inter-Services Public Relations (DGISPR) Lieutenant General Asim Bajwah and other senior officers were present.

Nawaz and General Raheel Sharif had candid exchange of views with the leadership of other countries present on the occasion. The military commanders and dignitaries present in the ceremony attached great esteem with General Raheel Sharif who has inflicted defeat on terrorists and almost won war against terror at home.

General Bajwa tweeted late Thursday evening that after day-long military exercise in desert, General Raheel had meeting with Saudi Defence Minister Muhammad bin Salman who is also Deputy Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister of Kingdom at Defence Minister’s Field Office.

Regional security, bilateral military relations were discussed on the occasion. General Raheel felicitated the host deputy crown prince for the exercise. The exercise commenced on February 14 near King Khaled Military City in North Eastern Saudi Arabia, with the participation of various military disciplines of artillery, tanks, infantry, and air defense systems as well as naval forces of 20 Arab and Islamic countries.

The North Thunder is the largest military drill in the world in terms of the number of participating forces. Military exercises of all these countries focus on training armed forces. The Prime Minister and Chief of Army Staff were received by Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman. Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) for Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi also accompanied them.

General Raheel Sharif was in full military fatigue and seated in the front row beside heads of state and government. The foreign guests and military leaders stayed at the rendezvous for exercise about three hours where the closing ceremony of 'North Thunder' military exercises was held. Troops from Special Services Group (SSG) of Pakistan Army displayed remarkable skill by para-trooping on the last day of the exercise. Troops from Pakistan also took part in maneuverings regarding war on terror the same afternoon. The performance of Pakistan-made JF-17 Thunder multi-role planes was on the top as it showed even better results comparing with the contemporary most sophisticated plans.

The parade of the troops will take place today (Friday) where JF-17 Thunder will also show up. Saudi sources claimed that the joint military exercises aimed at unifying armed tactics for the region’s stability. Saudi King Salman had exchange of views with the leaders turned up for the historic event including Nawaz, General Raheel, Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, Yemen's President Abdrabbu Hadi and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Spokesman for the Arab coalition forces, Brigadier General Ahmad Assiri, explained earlier that 20 Arab and Islamic countries took part in a number of tasks, including exercises aimed at encouraging cooperation between the various forces. He said that the training included exercises on how to fight armed militias in Syria, Yemen and other Arab states.

Asiri said the alliance brought together Arab and Islamic forces to gain experience and they would be prepared to protect the region’s stability. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 20 Arab and Islamic countries notably Pakistan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Morocco, Chad, Tunisia, Oman, Malaysia and Yemen took part in the exercise.

The purpose of the exercise was to raise the technical and combat efficiency of the units. According to unofficial sources, around 150,000 soldiers, 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks, and 460 helicopters participated in the largest military exercise in the history of the region. Nawaz is returning home today (Friday) in late afternoon and it is expected that the outcome of the exercise from Pakistan’s point of view would be reviewed in a high level meeting next week.