OUAGADOUGOU, April 11 (Xinhua) -- African special forces from Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and their Western partners kicked off Wednesday military exercises here as part of the annual "Flintlock" drill.
The exercises, aimed at strengthening the training and intervention capabilities of the special units against terrorism, consist of close combat tactical exercises, firefighting and airborne operations.
"Flintlock 2018" is a unified multilateral military exercise coordinated by special forces of African nations, the United States and their European partners, said Colonel Remy Kabore, deputy division chief of operations from Burkina Faso.
The training, scheduled to last for about two weeks at multiple locations in West Africa, involves a total of 1,900 soldiers from 20 African and Western countries.
Flintlock exercises have taken place regularly since 2005.
