China, Pakistan to hold first joint army training

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese and Pakistani armies will conduct their first joint training exercise in Korla in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in mid-to-late October, a defense spokesperson said on Saturday.

The training endeavor codenamed Karakoram 2026 will focus on joint counter-terrorism operations in high-altitude areas, Chen Xi, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said at a press conference.

The drill will include skills training in UAV operation, on-the-move target search and firing, and long-range sniping, and cover joint command and live-force exercises, Chen noted.

It will help the two sides deepen cooperation and strengthen interoperability in counter-terrorism efforts, he added.