India, Russia prepare to jointly fight terror in future

N C Bipindra
Chaubattia (Uttarakhand), Oct 23 (PTI) With terrorism
spreading its tentacles globally, India and Russia are getting
ready to wage battles as "allies" against future threats, even
as their armies concluded a major joint military exercise here
Saturday.
Exercise Indra-2010 -- held in a counter-terrorism,
counter-insurgency operations backdrop in a mountainous
terrain -- witnessed participation from 250-strong Russian
infantry troops and an equal number from an Indian battalion,
who practiced 'cordon, search and destroy' operations and
elimination of terror groups and leadership.
"Yes, certainly," Russian Federation Ambassador to
India Alexander M Kadakin, who witnessed the exercise here,
told reporters when asked if he envisaged future joint
operations against terrorists around the globe.
"The two countries have been fighting against global
terrorism. We are not just friends, but allies too. India and
Russia know well about it (terrorism), not from a bird's eye
view, but as nations that have faced it practically on the
ground. So we consider this exercise very significant,"
Kadakin said.
Emphasising the importance of the exercise, he said
during the talks between Russian Defence Minister Anatoly
Serdyukov and his Indian counterpart A K Antony during his
visit to New Delhi this joint army drill was highlighted as an
example of growing military-to-military relations between the
two countries.
Kadakin was seconded by Major General Rajesh Arya,
Commander of Indian Army's 6 Mountain Division, who said two
or more countries coming together to fight terrorists when
they threatened their common interests anywhere on the globe
could not be ruled out.
"As we have seen in the last 20 years, terrorism and
insurgency have been emerging and spreading internationally.
So is the magnitude of terrorist threats, which were earlier
minor, but has taken large proportions in the last couple of
years.
"Therefore, in certain areas where there are common
interests, couple of countries operating together cannot be
ruled out. When terrorists try and disturb those interests, we
cannot say we are not prepared to take on the threats jointly.
Therefore, one has to train well in advance," he said.
He was referring to the experience of international
joint naval operations against piracy in the Indian Ocean in
the recent years as an instance. PTI