ISLAMABAD: The opening ceremony of the ninth International Pakistan Army Team Spirit Competition (PATS) 2026 featuring 19 countries, including Saudi Arabia, was held in the country’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, the Pakistani military said.
The opening ceremony was held at the National Counter Terrorism Center in the northwestern Pabbi town, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said. It marked the start of 60-hour-long patrolling exercise which is part of the competition.
It said the exercise demands the highest standards of physical fitness, mental resilience and military expertise. The exercise also focuses on rapid decision-making while conducting challenging sub-tactical missions in a “near-real operational environment.”
“A total of 24 international teams from 19 friendly countries, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, the United States and Uzbekistan are participating in the exercise,” the ISPR said.
The ISPR also said Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand are participating in the international exercise as observer states.
