NEW DELHI, 8 March, 2021 (TON): Starting from Tuesday till 21 March, the Uzbek and Indian soldiers will carry out counter-terror drills to enhance capabilities in Chaubatia near Ranikhet in Uttarakhand.

The exercise is named Dustlik and it is the second edition. The first one took place in November 2019 near Tashkent in Uzbekistan.

The exercise is to counter-terror operations in a mountainous rural and urban scenario.

Special Forces tracking techniques, surveillance through a hi-tech command post, slithering operations from helicopters, and intelligence-based surgical strikes will be highlights of the exercise.

The Uzbekistan Army contingent arrived in Delhi on Monday morning.

There would be a module in the drill wherein the forces would learn to avoid collateral damage from each other in built-up or residential areas where counter-terror operators take place.

The Uzbekistan Army contingent arrived in Delhi on Monday morning.

An opportunity for greater cultural understanding, sharing experiences, and strengthening mutual trust and cooperation will be provided to the armies.

However, it is likely to say that the growing military relations between the two are a diplomatic move as Uzbek has its connectivity to Afghanistan and Iraq important for India to counter Pakistan and also in the wake of China's Belt and Road Initiatives.