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- Israeli forces in Cyprus this week for joint military exercise
Israeli forces in Cyprus this week for joint military exercise
Drill on eastern Mediterranean island nation will simulate war deep inside Lebanon against Hezbollah
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Israel and Cyprus on Sunday kicked off a joint military exercise on the eastern Mediterranean island nation that will simulate a war deep inside Lebanon against Hezbollah.
The drill, Agapinor-2022, is part of the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) month-long Chariots of Fire military exercise.
The Cypriot exercise will last until this Thursday.
The drill “highlights the excellent relations between the two countries in recent years in the field of defense and security," Cyprus said, with the local Cypriot news website Philenews calling it the largest ever joint military exercise between the two countries.
Participants include forces from the Cypriot National Guard, along with IDF troops and Israel's Air Force and Navy.
The exercise will attempt to recreate fighting against the Hezbollah terrorist group on Lebanese territory, with training on high-altitude terrain and in urban and open areas of the island
Israel's Defense Minister Benny Gantz is expected to visit Cyprus to observe the drill later in the week.
Ahead of the event, Gantz spoke to his Cypriot counterpart, Charalambos Petrides.
The two men “discussed its relevance to our operational readiness,” Gantz wrote on Twitter, adding that he “emphasized the strategic bond between our countries, which contributes to regional stability.”
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