India, Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise to be held in Assam

India and Kyrgyzstan will conduct a bilateral joint military exercise in Assam from February 4 to 17 to enhance interoperability between the special forces of the two countries, officials said on February 3.

The 13th edition of the joint exercise, named Exercise Khanjar, will be held at Misamari in Assam. The drill will focus on joint operations in urban warfare and counter-terrorism scenarios under a United Nations mandate, aimed at improving coordination, tactical skills and operational readiness.

Army officials said the exercise will further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation and deepen the long-standing military partnership between India and Kyrgyzstan. Enhancing interoperability between the special forces of both nations remains a key objective of the exercise.

A senior official said the joint training will involve sharing best practices and operational experiences, particularly in dealing with complex urban combat and counter-terrorism environments in peacekeeping and UN-mandated operations.

The previous edition of the India–Kyrgyzstan joint military exercise was held in Kyrgyzstan in March 2025. Since its inception in 2011, Exercise Khanjar has evolved into an annual training event, with the venue alternating between the two countries.

Officials said the alternating host format reflects the growing strategic relationship between India and Kyrgyzstan and underlines their shared commitment to regional and global security cooperation.