Pakistan, Sri Lanka launch joint counter-terrorism exercise ‘Shake Hands-II’ in Tarbela

Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Monday launched a joint counter-terrorism exercise in Tarbela aimed at enhancing their professional capabilities and strengthening long-standing military ties, the military’s media wing said in a statement.

According to the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Shake Hands-II is a joint counter-terrorism exercise conducted between the armies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

“The two-week exercise began on April 27 in Tarbela, with the participation of the Special Services Group of the Pakistan Army and the Special Forces of the Sri Lanka Army.”

The statement said the exercise aimed to enhance professional capabilities through joint training while further strengthening the long-standing military relations between the two friendly nations.

“Participating troops will benefit from the exchange of operational experiences and expertise in counter-terrorism operations, thereby contributing to improving interoperability and mutual understanding,” the statement added.

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.

Earlier in April, Pakistan and Egypt began 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.