Egypt, Sudan Stage First Joint Air Force Drill

Joint Egyptian-Sudanese air training (the official page of Egyptian armed forces spokesman)
Joint Egyptian-Sudanese air training (the official page of Egyptian armed forces spokesman)
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Egypt, Sudan Stage First Joint Air Force Drill

Joint Egyptian-Sudanese air training (the official page of Egyptian armed forces spokesman)
Joint Egyptian-Sudanese air training (the official page of Egyptian armed forces spokesman)

Units from the Egyptian Air Force have arrived in Sudan’s Marwa air base to conduct a joint air military drill, dubbed ''The Nile Eagles 1,'' with the Sudanese Air Force. The exercise is set to last till November 26.

Egyptian Armed Forces Spokesman Tamer El-Refaie said the exercises being conducted between the two neighboring countries for the first time.

The joint exercise is set to include planning and managing joint combat activities that are to be carried out by both the Egyptian and Sudanese air forces, El-Refaie said in a Facebook post.

“Multi-tasking fighter aircrafts from both sides will execute offensive and defensive sorties on targets,” he noted.

He added that the countries’ special forces will carry out combat search and rescue activities too.

The joint exercise began with theoretical and practical lectures to unify the required concepts and exchange expertise between the two sides, the spokesman said.

This training is part of efforts to support military cooperation between the armed forces of both countries and enhance the joint capability to manage airborne activities, using various air force weapons, he added.

The training with Sudan comes under a series of joint trainings between the Egyptian armed forces and their Sudanese counterparts.

In other news, Sudan’s Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Abdul Khair Abdullah Nasser, accompanied by a high-ranking military delegation, conducted an official visit to Egypt.

During the visit, which lasted a few days, the Sudanese delegation, headed by Nasser, met with Egyptian Air Defense Forces Commander Lt.Gen. Ali Fahmi.

“The meeting dealt with ways to support the prospects of military cooperation between the air defense forces of both sides, and to exchange views on the latest military developments in the field of air defense,” the Egyptian military spokesperson said.

Fahmi, for his part, praised the level of coordination and cooperation between the two air defense forces, expressing hope for the future to hold even more cooperation.



8 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Gas Exposure During Cave Search in Northern Iraq

A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28 ,2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28 ,2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
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8 Turkish Soldiers Killed by Gas Exposure During Cave Search in Northern Iraq

A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28 ,2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi/File Photo
A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 28 ,2018. REUTERS/ Khalil Ashawi/File Photo

Eight Turkish soldiers died after being exposed to methane gas during a search operation in a cave in northern Iraq, the defense ministry said on Monday.

In a statement, the ministry said the incident took place on Sunday during a mission to locate the remains of a Turkish soldier killed during a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Eleven other soldiers who are also exposed to the gas in the cave have been taken to the hospital for treatment, the ministry said.

The cave was at an altitude of 852 meters (2,795 foot) and was known to have been used as a hospital by the PKK in the past, although it had since been cleared by Turkish soldiers.

Türkiye and the PKK have waged a 40-year conflict which has often spilled over into Iraq and Syria. Türkiye has set up a series of bases in northern Iraq, where the PKK has been established for decades.