The Qatar Armed Forces held the 2018 ‘Lion’s Lair’ exercise from March 14 to 22 under the patronage of HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah and HE the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces Major General (pilot) Ghanem bin Shaheen al-Ghanem. Forces from Turkey participated in the exercise along with personnel from all commands and branches of the Qatar Armed Forces, backed by supporting forces from the Ministry of Interior, Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya), the Emiri Guard and State Security Department, according to a statement by the Directorate of Defence Communication at the Ministry of Defence. Staff Brigadier General Jassim Ahmed al-Muhannadi, director of the exercise, said the initiative is part of the annual training plan implemented by the Qatar Armed Forces and considered among the most imported exercises as part of the plan. It is aimed at enhancing the combat and co-ordination capabilities of all the forces concerned.