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Mock raid marks closing of counterterror joint exercise
A simulated operation to free Malaysian hostages taken at a hotel was the finale of a one-week joint exercise between the Malaysian and Indonesian special forces on Wednesday
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simulated operation to free Malaysian hostages taken at a hotel was the finale of a one-week joint exercise between the Malaysian and Indonesian special forces on Wednesday.
Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) chief Gen. Tan Sri Dato Sri Zulkifeli and his host Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Agus Suhartono witnessed the mock raid at Aryaduta Hotel.
Both commanders were pleased by the 10 minutes it took operatives from both countries to knock down the 'terrorists' and free the hostages.
Agus said commandoes from both countries had previously completed an exercise to assault terrorists hijacking a Malaysian aircraft during the one-week joint exercise.
The joint-exercise took the theme of combined joint task force counterterrorism.
Agus added that all missions during the Malindo Darsasa (Malaysia-Indonesia: Land, Sea and Air) joint exercise were the completed as per Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) 16 and 18, which were designed by ATM and TNI.
Both SOPs, Agus said, were implemented by both institutions to tackle security problems in the border areas of Indonesia and Malaysia.
'The SOP being used during the joint exercise, Malindo, was specially designed to tackle security problems on the border areas of both countries,' Agus said after witnessing the mock raid from the Medan Mayor's office.
The joint exercise started on Friday and involved 1,200 commandoes, 293 of which were from ATM. Indonesia is deployed a number of assets, including Bell-412 and Mi-17 helicopters; KRI Makassar-590 and KRI Imam Bonjol-383 warships; C-130 Hercules, Boeing 737 and Fokker 28 planes; as well as ambulances and bomb disposal vehicles.
Agus said the joint exercise showed that ATM and TNI could cooperate.
'I am sure security stability in both countries can now be increased, especially along the Malacca Straits,' he said, adding that there would be an evaluation to improve future joint exercises.
Another joint exercise will be held in three years time.
Zulkifeli said he was satisfied with the exercise because it had reached its objectives well as planned.
'We from the ATM who took part in the exercise gained experience and learned lessons from the exercise,' he said after witnessing the mock raid.
He was also upbeat that the joint exercise would further strengthen the relationship between both military institutions to maintain security stability.
