India, Oman's 13-day joint military excerise 'Al Najah' concludes in Rajasthan

The fourth edition of the Indo-Oman joint military exercise-- Al Najah was completed today (Saturday), August 13 at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan's Bikaner. The "Al Najah IV" exercise that commenced on August 1 was a joint exercise conducted between the Indian Army and the Royal Army of Oman. 

Al Najah IV

The fourth of the Al Najah military exercise was conducted in systematic three phases in Rajasthan's Bikaner. The first phase of the exercise was orientation and familiarisation with weapon equipment and tactical drills of each other wherein both contingents learned the best practices from each other whereas the second phase was combat conditioning, formulation of joint drills and putting them into practice, PTI reported.

The third phase-- validation phase included key counter-terrorism concepts and the employment of new generation technology. It was shown how the capabilities of Ambulance Armoured Track can be exploited to assist casualty evacuation and how Bomb Disposal Team undertakes a search of the target house and neutralises improvised explosive devices, PTI reported.

Speaking during the validation phase, Colonel Aditya Kumar, Commanding Officer of the unit of the Indian Army participating in the joint exercise said, "Indian Army and Royal Army of Oman have undergone a series of training reports and cultural events that not only enhanced the interoperation between the two armies but was also aimed at imbibing the best practices," according to PTI.

It is pertinent to mention that the troops from the 18 Mechanised Infantry Battalion represented the Indian Army at the exercise. Notably, the previous edition of the exercise was organised in Muscat in March 2019, making the latest edition the first after the COVID-19 pandemic.

(With inputs from PTI)