Two week long Indo-US military exercise over

New Delhi, Sep 27 The two-week-long Indo-US military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' in Uttarakhand, with a "focus on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations under UN mandate", ended on Monday, a defence statement said.

The exercise, at the Chaubattia Military Station, near Ranikhet, also aimed at building positive military relations between the two countries and allowed the two armies to understand each other's tactical and operational methodologies, said the statement.

"The exercise was conducted with focus on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations under the UN mandate," it said, adding it culminated with a 48 hours consolidation and validation exercise in which troops carried out a daring rescue and destroy mission in the general area of Pilkholi.

The validation exercise was reviewed by Indian Army's 6 Mountain Division commander, Maj. Gen. R.K. Raina, and US Army's 7 Division commander, Maj. Gen. Thomas James. A host of dignitaries and number of senior officers of both the armies observed the validation exercise, said the release.

The exercise concluded with de-briefing by the contingent commanders and valuable suggestions by the senior reviewing officers of both sides, which would be recorded for implementation in the training by both armies, the statement said, adding the formal closing ceremony is scheduled on September 27.

The exercise was the twelfth in the YudhAbhyas series, which started in the year 2004 under US Army Pacific Partnership Programme, to strengthen and broadens interoperability and cooperation between the Indian and US armies. It is the third Indo-US Army exercise at Chaubattia, and complements number of other exchanges and exercise between the forces.

Over the years the two countries have decided to progressively increase the scope and content of the combined exercise and the exercise provided an ideal platform for the personnel of the two countries to share their experiences on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations, especially in mountainous terrain, the statement said.

IANS