Indian, Chinese armies conduct tactical exercise on disaster relief in Ladakh

The Indian and Chinese armies held a successful second joint exercise under the Sino-India Cooperation 2016 on Wednesday as a sequel to the first joint exercise held on February 6 in the area of Border Personnel Meeting Hut at Chushul Garrison of Eastern Ladakh, along with Chinese troops of Moldo Garrison.

The joint exercise is part of the ongoing initiative to enhance interaction and cooperation between India and China under the provisions of Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) 2013.

During the daylong exercise on Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) a fictitious situation of earthquake striking an Indian Border village was painted and the joint teams carried out rescue operations, evacuation and rendering of medical assistance.

The Indian team was led by Brigadier R.S. Raman and the Chinese were led by Sr. Col. Fan Jun.

Army Public Relation Officer (PRO) Col Rohan Anand said, "The exercise was a great success and has not only refined the drills to provide succour to the border population in case of natural calamity, but has also increased the level of trust and cooperation between the two border guarding forces along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh."

"The joint exercise, compliments the 'Hand in Hand series' of the India-China joint exercises and the effort of both the nations to enhance cooperation and maintain peace and tranquillity along the border areas," he added.