HUNDREDS of East Lancashire soldiers, including 17-year-old Private Ziarad Mohammed, of Nelson, are taking part in a training exercise in Canada dubbed by army chiefs the 'ultimate war game'.
For many of the young soldiers it is their first trip abroad with the army.
Four companies of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment -- around 400 soldiers -- are taking part in the training exercise, on the Canadian Prairies.
Instead of using live ammunition, the soldiers use laser equipment. When the soldier is "shot" by the opposition, the soldier's weapon can no longer be used.
An army spokesman said: "This is the nearest experience to real warfare we can give and the only place with enough space is here."
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