Pakistan-Sri Lanka Joint Exercise Shake Hands-II concludes with focus on counter-terrorism

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

According to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the joint Pakistan-Sri Lanka exercise Shake Hands-II was conducted between the armies of the two countries, focusing on counter-terrorism operations in Tarbela.

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

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

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

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

The Pakistan Armed Forces regularly conduct joint exercises with foreign armies to exchange professional expertise and strengthen their combat readiness.

Last week, the joint Pakistani-Turkish commando and special forces exercise Jinnah-XIII was successfully held in Türkiye, focusing on counter-terrorism operations.

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

In January, the Pakistani and US militaries conducted a joint military exercise titled “Inspired Gambit-2026” aimed at strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation between the two forces.