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Indian Army conducts major drills in Gujarat’s Creek area
The four-day exercise, codenamed Dakshin Shakti, was conducted in training areas scattered across Gujarat and Rajasthan.
The India Army’s Pune-based Southern Command on Monday concluded high-intensity combat manoeuvres in Kutch’s Creek sector, with the multi-agency drills involving the army, air force, navy, coast guard, Border Security Force, Gujarat state police and the fisheries department, officials familiar with the development said.
Sir Creek is a 96-km maritime strip disputed between India and Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch. It divides the Kutch region of Gujarat and the Sindh province of Pakistan.
The four-day exercise, codenamed Dakshin Shakti, was conducted in training areas scattered across Gujarat and Rajasthan.
“The exercise involved the insertion of troops and manoeuvres by forces in all three dimensions simultaneously in an integrated manner. It involved comprehensive coordination for effective response in a multi-domain environment, real-time communication, and sharing of operational data to overcome emerging threats,” the army said in a statement. Top officials from the organisations taking part in the exercise witnessed the joint drills.
The exercise saw India’s marine commandos being dropped from IAF’s Mi-17 helicopters into boats to simulate an attack on an enemy target, the officials said. Hovercraft from the coast guard also landed army reinforcements at the shore to neutralise an enemy post, they added.
The exercise validated future concepts of warfighting in a tri-service battlefield environment, the Southern Command said in a tweet.
