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Russian commandos arrive in Pakistan for Friendship 2020 drills

The personnel of both countries will exchange experience and practice inter-operability in accomplishing a broad range of missions, according to Russia’s Southern Military District

ROSTOV-ON-DON, November 5. /TASS/. Over 70 Russian special operations troops arrived in Pakistan to participate in the Friendship 2020 drills, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported on Thursday.

"The personnel of the Southern Military District arrived in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan aboard an Il-76 military transport plane for participating in the Friendship 2020 joint Russian-Pakistani drills. The international drills involve over 70 servicemen of the special operations company of the Southern Military District’s 49th combined arms army, and also officers of the command headquarters," the press office said in a statement.

The drills will run at the Pakistani Army’s Tarbela special operations training ground and on the territory of the National Counterterrorism Center in Pabbi. The personnel from both countries will exchange experience and practice inter-operability in accomplishing a broad range of missions, in particular, eliminating illegal armed formations and conducting reconnaissance and search measures employing aircraft and technical reconnaissance capabilities, the statement says.

Friendship joint Russian-Pakistani military drills have been held annually since 2016 alternately in each of the countries, the press office specified.