NEW DELHI: In tune with the country’s initiatives focused on improving bilateral military ties with the Indian Ocean island nations, an Indian Army contingent left for Seychelles on Sunday to carry out a joint military exercise ‘LAMITIYE-2024’ with the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF).The Indian Army in a statement said the 10-day exercise will begin from March 18. A contingent of 45 personnel from Gorkha Rifles will join the SDF for the exercise.The Seychelles is a strategically located archipelago of around 115 islands in the Indian Ocean region and India has been focusing on significantly ramping up defence cooperation with the country.The exercise aims to enhance interoperability in sub-conventional operations in semi-urban environments under Chapter VII of the United Nations charter on peacekeeping operations. “The exercise will also build and promote bilateral military relations in addition to exchanging skills, experiences and good practices between both armies,” an Indian Army said.‘LAMITIYE’ meaning ‘friendship’ in the Creole language is a biennial training event and has been conducted in Seychelles since 2001. This will be the tenth in a series.Both sides will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed tactical drills for neutralization of likely threats that may be encountered in a semi-urban environment, while exploiting and showcasing new-generation equipment and technology. The joint exercise will include field training exercise, combat discussions and lectures and demonstrations. It will culminate with two days of ‘Validation Exercise.’The exercise, as per the Army, “will contribute immensely to developing mutual understanding and magnifying jointness between the troops of both the armies. It will also foster collaborative partnership and help in sharing best practices between the two sides.”
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