CSTO troops practice antiterrorist operation in Tajikistan
18:54, 26 April 2010
MOSCOW. April 26. KAZINFORM The rapid deployment force of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in the Central Asian region on Monday entered the final phase of the Rubezh (Frontier) - 2010 exercise, including live firing practice. The maneuvers are being held at the Tajik training center Chorukh-Dairon (300 kilometers south of Dushanbe); Kazinform refers to Itar-Tass.
"The Central Asian rapid deployment force of four CSTO countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan) have began the active phase of the maneuvers - an antiterrorist operation against terrorist infiltrations. More than 1,000 servicemen, 150 pieces of military hardware as well as planes and helicopters are taking part in the exercise," the spokesman for Russia's Ground Forces told Itar-Tass.
According to the official, "the 1,500 various targets, to be destroyed by artillery and air strikes, have been placed at the proving ground to simulate a real combat situation," he said.
The exercise began on April 22 and it it is due to end later on Monday; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass.