A counter-terrorism exercise kicked off in the southern outskirts of
Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, on September 9 in the framework
of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
The five-day exercise has drawn the participation of more than 500
military personnel from 10 ASEAN countries as well as their eight
dialogue partners.
The exercise is based on a
fictional scenario of multiple bomb attacks in an oil tanker and a
crowded event by terrorists. It focuses on technical and tactical
capabilities and the management of information and technology in
counter-terrorism.
Speaking at the opening ceremony,
Indonesian military chief Moeldoko said that terrorism is an asymmetric
threat and challenge to the world security.
This
exercise is a good way to gain common understanding, share experience,
and improve capabilities and cooperation among militaries in the region
to combat terrorism, he added.
Established in 2010,
the ADMM+, which groups 10 ASEAN states as well as Australia, China,
India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, the Republic of Korea and the United
States, is the highest official multilateral defence mechanism in Asia
Pacific.
Under the mechanism, the Defence Ministers
agreed on dialogue and cooperation in maritime security,
counter-terrorism, disaster management, peacekeeping operations and
military medicine.-VNA