Pakistan, Egypt launch joint exercise Thunder-II at Cherat

Pakistan and Egypt commenced their joint exercise, Thunder-II, on Monday at the Special Operations School in Cherat, the military's media wing said. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the bilateral counter-terrorism exercise will continue for two weeks. "Troops from the Pakistan Army's Special Services Group and the Egyptian Army's Special Forces are participating in the exercise. The Commandant of the Special Operations School attended the opening ceremony as the chief guest," stated the ISPR. It said that the exercise aimed to enhance professional skills through joint training while further strengthening the longstanding military-to-military relations between the two nations. "The participating troops will benefit from the exchange of mutual experiences and expertise, particularly in conducting counter-terrorism operations," the ISPR concluded. Pakistan’s armed forces regularly conduct joint exercises with foreign militaries to exchange professional expertise and strengthen combat readiness. In January, the Pakistan and United States armies conducted a joint military exercise titled 'Inspired Gambit–2026' aimed at enhancing counter-terrorism cooperation between the two forces.