NEW DELHI, November 22. /TASS/. The Indian Army and the US Army Special Forces have kicked off joint exercises in the east of the South Asian country, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Exercise Vajra Prahar in the Indian state of Meghalaya is aimed at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactic. They will last three weeks.

"The two sides will jointly plan and rehearse a series of special operations, counterterrorism operations and airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain," the ministry said.

India and the US have been holding Exercise Vajra Prahar since 2010. The previous maneuvers took place in August of last year in the north of India. The country’s Defense Ministry said the drills represent a "platform to enhance interoperability and strengthen defense cooperation between the armies of India and the United States."