India holds war games near Pakistan border

The Indian military said New Delhi gave advance notice of the 14-day exercises codenamed "Operation Desert Strike" to neighbouring Pakistan in line with a pact between the nuclear-armed rivals, who are engaged in a slow-moving peace process to end their decades-old feud over Kashmir.

"Such exercises show our capability and ability," said Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee. He said, however, the war games were not designed to intimidate India's neighbours.

"India does not have any territorial designs...all our capabilities are just aimed at protecting our interests," Mukherjee said as supersonic jets dived in mock attacks.

Officials said the exercise was the biggest since the 1987 Operation Brass Tacks in the desert state of Rajasthan, which sent tensions skyrocketing between India and Pakistan. The two countries have fought three wars, two over the Himalayan state of Kashmir.

Forty-two observers and diplomats from 30 countries including Bangladesh, Britain, China, France and the United States were at the war games in Pokhran.

"We welcome such observers," the defence minister said.

The army chief General J.J. Singh said Beijing had invited New Delhi and Moscow to send observers to recent Chinese exercises. Ties between India and China, which fought a border war four decades ago, have warmed in recent years.

"Our men also went to China and so we invited them as we are just showing our capabilities and we hope there will be better cooperation in the future," Singh, head of India's 1.4-million strong army, told reporters in Pokhran.