A 170-member Indian Defence Forces contingent has arrived in Sri Lanka for Mitra Shakti 2026, the 12th edition of the India–Sri Lanka joint military exercise, being held at the Army Training School in Maduru Oya from November 13 to 26.

Source: Ministry of Defence via PIB

The Indian contingent is drawn mainly from a battalion of the Rajputana Rifles, along with troops from other arms and services and personnel of the Indian Air Force, the Ministry of Defence said. According to the Sri Lanka Army account reported by IANS, the contingent comprises 19 officers and 150 other ranks commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Anirudh Mangotra, while the Sri Lankan side fields 17 officers and 153 other ranks.

Source: IANS via AsiaPost

170Members of the Indian contingent
12thEdition of Mitra Shakti
13–26 NovExercise dates at Maduru Oya
14 daysDuration of the joint exercise

The exercise aims to enhance the joint operational capability of the two armies to conduct counter-terrorism operations in a semi-urban environment under a United Nations mandate, and to strengthen interoperability, mutual trust and the sharing of best practices.

The training programme will cover joint planning, tactical drills, road block operations, urban patrolling, vehicle convoy protection, area ambush, crowd dispersal and combined operations against fortified positions, according to the Sri Lanka Army.

Mitra Shakti is an annual bilateral exercise conducted alternately in India and Sri Lanka. The troops arrived at Mattala Airport on November 13 and were received by Colonel N.N. Abeysekara, the exercise's Logistics Commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Mandeep Singh Negi, Assistant Defence Advisor at the High Commission of India in Colombo.

Sources: Ministry of Defence (PIB); IANS; High Commission of India, Colombo; Sri Lanka Army.