Anti-terror war games in Tajikistan start with firing exercises

Anti-terror war games in Tajikistan start with firing exercises

Interfax-AVN military news agency web site, Moscow
4 Apr 05

Dushanbe, 4 April: The Rubezh 2005 command post exercises of the
Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which began in
Tajikistan on 2 April, will train troops to respond to attacks by
international terrorist groups in the south of Tajikistan, First
Deputy Chief of the CSTO Unified HQ Lt-Gen Vasiliy Zavgorodniy told
Interfax-Military News Agency today.

“Tajik Defence Minister Col-Gen Sherali Khayrulloyev, who supervises
the Rubezh 2005 exercises, will hear the decision of Maj-Gen Sergey
Chernomordin, commander of the Collective Rapid Deployment Force,
on using collective security units and support assets in the
anti-terrorist operation on the Tajik territory,” Zavgorodniy said.

Tactical actions and firing exercises will be held on the Eshak-Maydon
training range, about 200 km southwest of Dushanbe, on Tuesday [5
April], he said.

“Over 1,000 servicemen of the Collective Rapid Deployment Force in
Central Asia will be involved in the training. They will be using
about 300 pieces of military equipment,” the general said.

Russian warplanes stationed in the Kant air base in Kyrgyzstan will
take part in the exercises, he said.

The defence ministers of the CSTO member nations will observe the
active stage of the exercises, Zavgorodniy said. They will arrive in
Tajikistan to attend the event together with CSTO Secretary General
Nikolay Bordyuzha.

The Collective Rapid Deployment Force was established on 25 May,
2001, under a decision reached by the Russian, Kazakh, Kyrgyz and
Tajik presidents. It is comprised of over 5,000 servicemen.

The CSTO is made up of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Russia and Tajikistan.