Istanbul / Anadolu

The Egyptian army announced on Saturday the conclusion of the joint Egyptian-Turkish training exercise "Golden Eagle," with the participation of elements from the Egyptian paratroopers and thunderbolt forces and Turkish special forces.

The army said in a statement that the training was carried out over several days in the combat training fields of the Egyptian Paratroopers and Thunderbolt Forces commands.

The final phase included a simulated raid on a terrorist stronghold inside a residential city using helicopters, hostage rescue, and the capture of terrorist elements.

It also included the execution of standard and non-standard shooting exercises, and training on room clearing and vertical assault using an aircraft simulator.

The participating elements also trained on dealing with improvised explosive devices, and the use of drones and methods to counter them.

The activities also included training on the freefall simulator with an air column, and the execution of operational freefall jumps, according to the statement.

At the conclusion of the training, the participating elements performed the "Friendship Jump" with the flags of both countries, which the Egyptian army said demonstrated the "high level and superior technical skills" of the participants.

The final phase was attended by a number of Egyptian and Turkish armed forces commanders, along with the Turkish military attaché in Cairo.

The conclusion of the training follows an official visit by Egyptian Defense Minister Ashraf Salem Zaher to Turkey last week, during which he discussed with his Turkish counterpart Yaşar Güler ways to enhance military cooperation.

The ministers' talks covered cooperation in training, knowledge transfer, and exchange of expertise, and they also signed a letter of intent to enhance defense cooperation between the two countries.

On July 3, Turkish Ambassador to Egypt Salih Mutlu Şen said that security cooperation and military relations between the two countries "are going very well."

He added that the growing relations between the Egyptian and Turkish armies would contribute to enhancing peace, security, and stability in the region.