According to the newspaper, the drills that aim at enforcing regional cooperation in order to counter unlawful activities in critical sea lanes, began late Tuesday and will last until March 13.
There are 28 warships including 17 from India and 11 others from Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Thailand participating in the drills, the newspaper quoted the Indian Navy officials.
The Maldives, which initially planned to participate in drills, declined India’s offer due to the political crisis.
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The biennial Milan drills were held for the first time in 1995 and involved five regional countries. The initiative is aimed to discuss common concerns in the Indian Ocean and enforce cooperation between friendly navies.