Indian Armed Forces contingent were in Seychelles to participate in the Eleventh edition of joint military exercise ‘Lamitiye-2026’ with Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF). The joint exercise was conducted at Seychelles Defence Academy from 9-20 March 2026. ‘Lamitiye’  meaning ‘Friendship’ in the Creole language is a biennial training event and has been conducted in Seychelles since 2001.

This edition marks a significant milestone with the participation of all three services of the Indian Armed Forces. The contingent consisted of personnel from the Assam Regiment, participation from Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) including INS Trikand and a C-130 aircraft.

The exercise aimed to enhance synergy in the domains of Sub-conventional Operations in Semi-Urban environment and cooperation and interoperability between both the sides during peacekeeping operations. The exercise also aimed to build and promote bilateral military relations in addition to exchanging skills, experiences and good practices between both the armies.

Both sides jointly trained, planned and executed a series of tactical drills for neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered in semi-urban environment, while exploiting and showcasing new generation equipment and technology. The 12-day long joint exercise included Field Training Exercises, combat discussions, case studies, lectures and demonstrations, culminating in two days of validation exercise.