CAIRO, Sept. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- An Egyptian army officer said on Sunday that Bright Star maneuvers kicked off with the participation of 12 countries, the official MENA news agency reported.

    Maj. Gen. Ahmed Mokhtar, chief of the Egyptian exercises authority, said that the participants are Egypt, the United States, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Britain, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Jordan, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

    Besides the participants, representatives of up to 36 countries will be present in the war games as observers, he added.

    At a news conference attended by Bright Star military commanders, Mokhtar said the maneuvers embody international cooperation.

    He stressed that this year's games will include peacekeeping training.

    Up to 30,000 troops are taking part in the five-phase exercises that involve all army branches from the navy to the air, ground, artillery and special forces.

    Modern weapons and advanced weapon systems are expected to appear during this year's exercises.

    Egypt holds Bright Star military exercises every two years, but the war game in 2003 was canceled after the United States invaded Iraq. Enditem