An Indian Army special forces contingent has departed for Kyrgyzstan to participate in Exercise Khanjar-XII 2025, a two-week-long joint training event scheduled from 10th to 23rd March 2025. The Indian contingent, represented by troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), will train alongside the Kyrgyz Scorpion Brigade. The exercise aims to share experiences and best practices in Counter-Terrorism and Special Forces Operations, focusing on urban and high-altitude mountainous terrains. Key skills such as sniping, complex building intervention, and mountain craft will be honed.
Beyond military training, the exercise will include cultural exchanges, such as celebrating the Kyrgyz festival Nowruz, fostering stronger bonds between the two nations.
Exercise Khanjar symbolizes the India-Kyrgyz Strategic Partnership, addressing shared challenges like international terrorism and extremism. It strengthens defence ties and reaffirms the close bilateral relationship between the two countries.
The first edition of this iconic exercise was held in 2011 in India. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2015, he proposed making Exercise Khanjar an annual event, a suggestion accepted by Kyrgyzstan. Since then, the exercise has been held alternately in India and Kyrgyzstan each year.
