A 60-member Indian Armed Forces contingent has departed for Oskemen, Kazakhstan, to participate in the ninth edition of KAZIND 2026 stregthening military-to-military cooperation between India and Kazakhstan.

The Indian contingent is drawn mainly from a battalion of the Garhwal Rifles, along with troops from other arms and services, and personnel from the Indian Air Force, the Defence Ministry said. 

The Kazakhstan Armed Forces will field a contingent of matching strength, comprising primarily personnel from its Land Forces, it added.

The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen the joint capability of both forces to undertake Joint Counter-Terrorism operations in a sub-conventional environment under a United Nations mandate and reinforce the shared commitment of both nations towards regional peace, stability and collective security.

KAZIND-2026 will focus on Joint Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain, with an emphasis on joint planning and execution, air mobility and the integrated employment of Unmanned Aerial Systems and Counter-UAS capabilities.

The participating contingents will train together in joint responses to terrorist actions, raids, search-and-destroy missions, cordon-and-search operations, the securing of helipads and landing sites, and Special Heliborne Operations, among other activities.

The exercise will also involve the establishment of a Joint Command Post and an Intelligence and Surveillance Centre to facilitate coordinated planning and execution. 

The training will culminate in a comprehensive validation exercise wherein both contingents will jointly apply rehearsed tactics, techniques and procedures against a simulated terrorist threat. 

Exercise KAZIND-2026 will provide an opportunity for both sides to benefit from each other's operational experience while strengthening professional bonds, mutual trust and camaraderie, it said.

The exercise began on 28th September and will end on 11th October 2026.