Pakistan, Egypt conclude two-week Thunder-II counterterrorism exercise at Cherat

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Egypt have wrapped up a two-week joint military exercise centred on counterterrorism operations at Cherat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

In a statement issued on Monday, the military’s media wing said the Pakistan-Egypt Joint Exercise Thunder-II was held at the Special Operations School in Cherat, described as the military’s premier Special Operations School.

The ISPR said the exercise was designed to improve interoperability between the two sides by refining drills, procedures and techniques related to counterterrorism operations through joint training.

Combat teams from the Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group (SSG) and the Egyptian Special Forces took part in the exercise. The ISPR said the participating troops displayed exceptional professionalism and operational skill during the training period.

The closing ceremony was attended by the General Officer Commanding SSG. Commander of Egyptian Paratroopers Major General Mohamed Saad Abdel Razik and Egypt’s defence attaché were also present at the event, the ISPR said.

The military’s media wing said the exercise also contributed to deepening defence ties between the two countries. “The exercise also served to further strengthen the longstanding and historic military-to-military relations between the two friendly nations,” it stated.

Pakistan and Egypt maintain long-standing bilateral relations. The joint exercise had commenced on April 6 at the Special Operations School in Cherat.

Last year, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, during a meeting with Egyptian defence officials in October, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to enhanced defence and military cooperation with Egypt.

Pakistan’s armed forces regularly hold joint exercises with foreign militaries for the exchange of professional expertise and to strengthen combat preparedness. In January, Pakistan and the United States armies also carried out a joint military exercise, Inspired Gambit–2026, aimed at improving counterterrorism cooperation between the two forces.

Exercise focused on interoperability and counterterrorism training

The latest Pakistan-Egypt drill was part of continuing military engagement between the two countries and focused specifically on counterterrorism training. The ISPR said the exercise brought together special operations personnel from both sides for joint work on operational methods and procedures.

The exercise concluded successfully after two weeks of training in Cherat. The event underscored the military-to-military relationship between Pakistan and Egypt, which the ISPR described as longstanding and historic.