News analysis |
Thailand and Pakistan partook in a joint military exercise last month in a bid to hone various combat skills to counter the menace of terrorism. Special forces from both countries took part in the exercise code-named “Exercise Trisul” which took place at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Pabbi.
Thailand’s request for help will bolster Pakistan’s credentials at a time when the world is raising fingers on its ability and willingness to fight the menace
The NCTC has become a hub of training forces which are to undertake CT MILOPS. Units from various arms are sent to the NCTC for pre-induction training in order to atone the methods in-line with the somewhat different challenges associated with counter-terrorism operations.
By virtue of being battle-hardened and more experienced the Pakistani forces exhibited their skills in drills which their Thai counterparts learned. 
The forces carried out raids on mock villages and houses as part of the close quarter combat training. The use of small arms and other battle drills were performed by the two forces.
The Pakistani trainers focused on imparting knowledge about fighting in built-up areas, cordoning off compounds and the use of weaponry. Thailand has started to encounter the problem of urban terrorism in their Southern provinces. Given that Pakistan has been successfully clearing urban centres and suburbs from terrorists, the Thai forces have expressed their intent to further learn from this experienced force as part of the bilateral framework between the two countries.
Road clearance and search operation techniques were also imparted to the Thai forces. Besides, ambush and guerilla attacks were also part of the training program.
Read more: Are military operations the only way to counter terrorism in Pakistan?
At a time when terrorism has become a regional and international phenomenon, Pakistan is the only country which has militarily dispossessed miscreants from their centers of gravity. Thailand, therefore, has found an important helping hand in Pakistan.
GVS took exclusive comments of the renowned analyst, Andrew Korybko as to why is Thailand showing an interest in eliciting Pakistan’s help in its CT drive. He said that the military government in Thailand has to ensure that terrorism does not succeed in his country. He added that it is also important for that country to simultaneously ward-off radical elements in the south and guard against the spill over of the civil war in Myanmar.
Read more: Director-general military operation’s briefing…!
He asserted:”Nearby Pakistan, which is technically part of the same wider Indian Ocean community, has extensive experience in successfully confronting asymmetrical threats such as those which concern Thailand at the moment. So it is not only natural but also very wise for the military government in Bangkok to reach out to Islamabad for assistance in strengthening its anti-terrorism capabilities.”
Thailand’s request for help will bolster Pakistan’s credentials at a time when the world is raising fingers on its ability and willingness to fight the menace.