A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent left for Oskemen in Kazakhstan on 28 September for the ninth edition of the India-Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND. The send-off was held on Monday morning.

The exercise runs from 28 September to 11 October. The Indian team is drawn mainly from a Garhwal Rifles battalion, with troops from other arms and the Air Force.

The focus this year is joint counter-terrorism operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a UN mandate, with emphasis on drones and counter-drone tactics, heliborne operations and cordon-and-search drills.

The two sides will also set up a joint command post and hold a final validation exercise. The Defence Ministry said the drill will deepen trust and interoperability. camaraderie and interoperability between the forces. The ninth edition reflects the growing defence partnership.

India and Kazakhstan share strong defence ties going back years. Officials said lessons from the drill will feed into future training.