US Navy SEALs, Cyprus special forces hold anti-terror drill

Operators from the U.S. navy’s elite special forces unit SEAL joined Cypriot underwater demolition soldiers in a joint drill to hone skills in countering terrorist hijackings at sea

LIMASSOL, Cyprus -- Members of the U.S. navy’s elite special forces SEAL unit joined Cypriot underwater demolition soldiers on Friday in a joint drill to hone skills in countering terrorist hijackings at sea. The exercise involved teams of U.S. and Cypriot special forces re-taking a ship controlled by terrorists. Cypriot Defense Minister Charalambos Petrides said after the drill that Cyprus and the U.S. are on the same “strategic path” to ensure security and stability in a turbulent region. He said close cooperation between the two countries’ special forces in the past two years aims to achieve peak preparedness in order to deal with “asymmetrical threats and emerging crises.”