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ISLAMABAD: Bahrain’s Chief of Defense Staff Lt. Gen. Thiab Saqer Abdulla Al-Nuaimi has expressed interest in learning from the Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) experience in multi-domain operations, the PAF said on Monday.

The statement came after the Bahraini chief of defense staff’s meeting with PAF’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu at the Air Headquarters in Islamabad, according to the PAF.

It follows a four-day Pakistan-India military standoff in May, during which officials said the PAF successfully conducted multi-domain operations to down six Indian fighter jets, including the French-made Rafale jets. While India has acknowledged losses in the air, it has not specified the number of aircraft lost.

Monday’s meeting in Islamabad was focused on key areas of mutual interest and exploring avenues of enhanced cooperation, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to sustained military-to-military engagement and emphasizing joint training and collective growth.

“Underscoring the significance of knowledge-sharing in Multi Domain operations to augment the operational readiness of Bahrain Air Force, he (Al-Nuaimi) conveyed his earnest desire to gain deeper insight into PAF’s complete methodology of multi-domain warfare, with the aim of learning from its rich operational experience,” the PAF said in a statement.

“The visiting dignitary also expressed interest in initiating joint training programs for Bahraini pilots and engineers at all levels.”

The hour-long India-Pakistan fight, which took place in darkness, involved some 110 aircraft, experts estimate, making it the world’s largest air battle in decades.

Pakistan’s Chines-made J-10s shot down at least one Rafale, Reuters reported in May, citing US officials. Its downing surprised many in the military community and raised questions about the effectiveness of Western military hardware against untested Chinese alternatives.

The Bahraini chief of defense staff was highly appreciative of the PAF’s indigenization efforts and particularly commended the role of National Aerospace Science & Technology Park in spearheading innovation and building advanced indigenous capabilities, according to the statement.

During the meeting, Air Chief Marshal Sidhu reiterated his resolve to further expand bilateral military cooperation, particularly in the domains of joint training and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

“He further emphasized that Pakistan deeply values its strong diplomatic and defense ties with Bahrain, which are firmly anchored in shared commitment of both the countries on regional peace, security and stability,” the statement read.

Later, the dignitary visited the Integrated Air Operations Center and PAF Cyber Command, where he was briefed on the operational capabilities of the PAF.

“This meeting between Chief of the Air Staff and Chief of Staff, Bahrain Defense Force signifies a resolute commitment of both countries to reinforce military partnership, fostering collaboration and promoting robust relations,” the PAF said.

Pakistan and Bahrain have maintained close diplomatic, security, trade and defense ties through defense training, joint security initiatives and regular high-level exchanges.

Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Bahraini counterpart General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa in July to further strengthen security collaboration in various fields.

In March, Bahrain National Guard Commander General Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalifa called on the PAF chief to improve the bilateral military cooperation between both the countries at all levels.

HANOVER: A group of 45 Afghans who fled the Taliban arrived in Germany on Monday after months of waiting in Pakistan until German court rulings forced Berlin to offer them refuge.

The 10 families have been among more than 2,000 Afghans caught in limbo in Pakistan as Germany’s conservative-led government this year froze a program to offer them sanctuary.

They arrived in Hanover on a commercial flight from Istanbul around 2:00 p.m. (1200 GMT), said an AFP reporter and the Airbridge Kabul initiative set up to help those affected.

An interior ministry spokeswoman later confirmed that “45 Afghan nationals entered Germany. These are all individuals who obtained visas through legal proceedings... All of these individuals have fully completed the admission procedure and security screening.”

After the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Germany set up a scheme to offer sanctuary to Afghans who had worked for German institutions or were otherwise deemed at high risk of persecution, including rights activists and journalists.

But the scheme was frozen under conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office in May, as part of a wider crackdown on immigration.

While the Afghans have been left stranded in Pakistan, authorities there have also stepped up a crackdown on Afghans living in the country without residency.

Last month, Berlin said around 450 Afghans waiting to come to Germany had been detained, and more than 200 of them were sent back to their Taliban-run homeland.

While alarm has grown about their fate, Germany has agreed to resume accepting some of the others.

The government said last week that Afghans for whom “courts have found that Germany is legally obliged to issue visas” would travel to Germany “in stages” once they had cleared security checks.

The 10 main applicants who arrived on Monday were eight women and two men who had been involved in “politics, the justice system and journalism,” said Eva Beyer, a spokeswoman for the Airbridge Kabul initiative.

Around 85 other stranded Afghans have begun legal proceedings against Germany, “and there are more every day,” Beyer said.