Morocco, U.S. start annual military drills in southern Morocco

RABAT, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Morocco and the United States launched Saturday the 2019 edition of their annual military exercises named "African Lion" in southern Morocco.

The drills will be held until April 7 with the participation of thousands of military personnel, according to a statement from the General Staff of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces.

The exercise involves various types of training including command post, maneuvering, peace keeping operations and aerial refueling, the statement said.

It will also include training on counter-terrorism operations, land and air exercises, as well as a tactical simulation, it added.

military units and observers from Canada, Spain, Britain, Senegal, Tunisia, in addition to the United States and Morocco will take part in the exercise, the same source said.

On the sidelines of the drills, medical services will be provided to local populations in the region of Tata by medical teams made up of doctors and nurses of the Royal Armed Forces and the U.S. Army.

African Lion is an annually scheduled exercise designed to improve interoperability and mutual understanding of each nation's tactics, techniques and procedures.