Beijing, December 25:

China and India wrapped up their first-ever joint military exercises today with a drill in which they “wiped out” a group of supposed terrorists along their border, state press reported.

In the mock scenario, 56 members of an unnamed international terrorist organisation had taken hostages after establishing a training base along the two nations’ border, according to Xinhua news agency. “The final manoeuvre involved establishing a joint command post before wiping out a group of ‘terrorists’ and rescuing ‘hostages’,” Xinhua said.

The three-hour drill was the culmination of five days of exercises between about 100 troops from each of the two nations’ militaries in southwest China’s Yunnan province, which borders India. Chinese officials had initially said the exercises were meant to last for nine days. However the Xinhua report said they were only a five-day operation, without giving a reason for the different time frame.

“This is a momentous occasion for us,” the report quoted Lt Gen Susheel Gupta, deputy chief of India’s Army Staff, saying. “This first-ever joint training shows our resolve to fight against terrorism and ensure peace for the entire world.” Calling the military ties between the two nations “a very important aspect” of diplomatic

relations, Gupta said the two armies were likely to carry out more joint exercises in future.