Military drill 'North Thunder' concludes in Saudi Arabia

A three-week-long counter-terrorism military exercise 'North Thunder' which included 21 countries concluded yesterday in Saudi Arabia with pomp and show.

Saudi King Salman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi , along with other Heads of states from across the Muslim world witnessed the grand closing ceremony reported the Dawn.

The leaders watched the contingents March past the stage and several other military exercises.

Fighter aircraft of Pakistan performed aerobatics, including a performance by two JF-17 Thunders and the Sherdil formation with its eight Karakoram-8 aircraft.

The soldiers jumped from helicopters carrying flags of the countries participating in the exercise.

Sharif along with his Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Special Assistant to the premier on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi arrived on a three-day trip Saudi Arabia to witness the closing ceremony on Wednesday.