CAIRO

Egypt’s military is participating in this year’s International Military Olympics, which began earlier this week in Russia, the Egyptian army confirmed in a Monday statement. 

“Egypt’s participation in this competition reflects our close military ties with friendly states,” army spokesman Tamer al-Refai said in a statement. 

The competition, in which a number of Arab militaries are reportedly taking part, began on Saturday and will wrap up on Aug. 11. 

While this year’s Military Olympics started in Russia with a “tank biathlon”, subsequent competitions will be hosted by Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Iran.