ISLAMABAD: Ten international teams from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, Jordon, Morocco and other countries are participating in the Sixth Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS) Competition, announced the military’s media wing, ISPR, in a statement released after the event’s opening ceremony on Tuesday.

The competition, which has gained significant international popularity over the years, is taking place at the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) at Pabbi.

Seven Pakistan Army teams have also joined the competition which has brought in Azerbaijan, Myanmar and Nigeria as observer countries.

“The 60 hours long rigorous competition will continue from 7 to 9 March,” the ISPR said. “The competition is based on evaluating physical endurance, mental agility and tactical proficiency of the combat teams.”

The ISPR informed the competition was designed to provide opportunity to the participating teams to learn from and share experiences with one another.

It added the Pakistan Army’s own experience of fighting militant groups was also beneficial for combat teams arriving from other countries.