India and Nepal’s Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs), Lt Gen Manish Luthra and Maj Gen Anup Jung Thapa, validated Exercise SURYAKIRAN-XIX on December 8, 2025, in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, culminating the 19th edition held from November 25 to December 8. Involving 334 personnel each from India’s Assam Regiment and Nepal’s Devi Datta Regiment, the two-day battalion-level exercise demonstrated joint tactics, techniques, and procedures for UN-mandated counter-terrorism operations in mountainous terrain, integrating drones for ISR and precision targeting, AI surveillance, unmanned platforms, and secure communications. Troops executed intelligence-based surgical strikes with aerial insertions, enhancing interoperability and rapid response for regional stability in the Himalayas. The DGMOs planted a Tree of Friendship, symbolizing enduring military brotherhood and India’s leadership in shared Himalayan security.