India Interested In Adopting Russia's Experience In Using Aviation In Syria - Air Force

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th July, 2019) India is interested in adopting Russia's experience in using military aircraft in anti-terrorist operations in Syria, Birender Singh Dhanoa, the chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force, said.

In an interview with the Russian Armed Forces' official newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, published on Friday, Dhanoa recalled that the Russian-Indian Indra-2019 military drills involving aviation, fleet and land forces would be held in India and will be dedicated to UN-mandated antiterrorism operations.

Russia was the only country with which India held such large-scale drills, Dhanoa noted, emphasizing that holding such exercise was a very important experience for the Indian military.

Russia has been supporting the Syrian government in its fight against terrorists and militants since 2015. Since September 30, 2015, over 63,000 Russian servicemen have participated in the operation which mainly includes airstrikes on terrorist infrastructure.

The victory over terrorists in Syria was declared in late 2017. The country is currently working on settling its political crisis, rebuilding its infrastructure and bringing refugees and internally displaced persons back home.