United States, Afghanistan and Pakistan launch joint exercises
Dated 3/5/2006
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Islamabad: Pakistan, Afghanistan and US forces have launched joint exercises at a military base in the country's North West Frontier Province (NWFP), said a government official.
The exercises, dubbed 'Inspired Gambit', were aimed to promote greater coordination among the three countries to check the cross-border movement of Taliban and Al Qaida militants, Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said.
According to sources, around 1000 troops of the three countries are taking part in the exercises. The manoeuvres are being held in the hilly Cherat area, some 30 km northeast of Peshawar, the provincial capital of NWFP, as well as in different areas along the Pakistani-Afghan border.
It is the first time that Afghan forces are joining a military manoeuvre in Cherat, in partnership with Pakistan and the US. The exercises, which started Tuesday, are expected to last for ten days.
