Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

The special forces units of Azerbaijan’s Combined Arms Army have conducted anti-terror drills, the Defence Ministry reported on September 30.

Under the drills plan, the military personnel was trained to improve their skills in conducting counter-terrorism operations rescuing hostages captured by terrorist groups.

In line with the scenario, the servicemen were assigned to neutralize the imaginary terrorist group, which had captured civilians in a high-rise building.

The special forces entered the building and rescued the hostages using helicopters and armored vehicles. First medical aid was provided to the wounded and they were evacuated by helicopter.

The servicemen prevented all provocations and successfully completed the tasks of capturing the imaginary terrorists, their weapons and setting free the hostages alive.

Combined Arms Army Commander Col-Gen Karam Mustafayev together with the representatives of the Turkish army observed the drills and attended the awarding ceremony following the drills.

Addressing the ceremony, Mustafayev stressed the importance of the joint drills between Azerbaijani and Turkish armies.

He said that the Azerbaijani and Turkish servicemen demonstrate high professionalism and patriotism in all kinds of military exercises, including in the Indestructible Brotherhood -2021 joint drills.

It should be noted that the Azerbaijani-Turkish joint live-fire drills Indestructible Brotherhood-2021 kicked off in Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave on September 20.

The motorized rifle units, special forces, and other types of troops of the Azerbaijani and Turkish armies are involved in the drills under the military cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Azerbaijan and Turkey periodically hold joint drills to improve interaction and communication between their army units.

Military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkey first emerged in 1992, with an agreement signed between the Azerbaijani and Turkish governments on military education and weapon equipment and deals to help strengthen the bond between the two nations.

On June 15, the two countries signed a memorandum of alliance that cemented the existing military, political and economic cooperation.

The Shusha Declaration on Allied Relations that President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed during the first official visit to Shusha eight months after Azerbaijan’s victory in the war with Armenia, also focuses on defence cooperation.

It affirms joint efforts by the two armies in the face of foreign threats. The declaration also pledges joint efforts for the restructuring and modernization of the armed forces. Moreover, the two nations affirm to encourage the execution of joint projects with the aim of developing capabilities in the field of sea, air, and space.

In an interview with Turkey's Anadolu Agency on September 27, President Ilham Aliyev said that the signing of the Shusha Declaration raised bilateral relations to an even higher level.

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