PESHAWAR: The 6th International Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Competition, which lasted for more than two days, concluded at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) Pabbi town of Nowshera with an impressive closing ceremony.
According to Hilal magazine of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the competition is designed to test the participating teams’ ability to operate in a challenging environment through a narrative-based exercise.
During the competition, each patrol is assigned the task of infiltrating a terrorist-infested area, completing a specific mission, and then exfiltrating safely.
Seven Pakistan Army teams, Pakistan Navy, and 10 international teams from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Jordan, the United States, Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Qatar participated in the competition, while teams from Azerbaijan, Canada, Gambia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Maldives, Senegal, Sudan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Britain participated as observers.
The competition, which took place in the mountainous and rugged terrain of Pabbi, continued day and night from March 7-9. Over the years, the competition has gained much popularity and has become an international team spirit evaluation event.
Speaking at the ceremony, the army chief appreciated the participating teams for their professionalism, endurance, and high morale displayed during various stages of the exercise.
Gen. Asim Munir reiterated the importance of physical fitness, combat skills, and teamwork in the face of evolving warfare and commended the soldierly attributes of courage, mutual cooperation, resilience, and competence displayed by the Pakistan Army in their ongoing fight against terrorism.
He also presented prizes and medals to the participants of the competition. The ceremony was attended by international observers and defense attaches of participating countries.
