Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s joint exercise Shake Hands-II concludes with focus on counter-terrorism

Pakistan and Sri Lanka concluded a two-week joint counter-terrorism exercise in Tarbela on Thursday, focusing on improving counter-terrorism skills and strengthening their long-standing military-to-military relations.

According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Joint Exercise Shake Hands-II was conducted between the armies of both countries, centered around counter-terrorism operations at Tarbela.

“The two-week exercise began on April 27 and ended today. Combat teams of the Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army and the Sri Lankan Special Forces participated in the exercise,” it said.

The statement further mentioned that the SSG General Officer attended the closing ceremony as the chief guest. Major General Ajith Abeyawardana of Sri Lanka also witnessed the closing ceremony.

“The troops displayed the highest standards of professional excellence throughout the exercise,” the ISPR statement added.

The ISPR also said the exercise aimed to refine the drills, procedures and techniques involved in counter-terrorism operations through joint training, while strengthening the historic military-to-military ties between the two friendly countries.

Pakistan’s armed forces regularly conduct joint exercises with foreign militaries to exchange professional expertise and enhance combat readiness.

Last week, Pakistan-Turkye Joint Commando and Special Forces Exercise Jinnah-XIII was conducted in Turkiye focusing on counter-terrorism operations.

In April, Pakistan and Egypt began their joint exercise, Thunder-II, at the Special Operations School in Cherat.

In January, the Pakistan and US armies conducted a joint military exercise titled ‘Inspired Gambit–2026’ with the aim of strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation between the two forces.