Interfax - Russia & CIS General Newswire October 7, 2017 Saturday 8:30 PM MSK Special forces from four CSTO countries oust mock militants during exercise in Armenia MOSCOW. Oct 7 Groups of special forces from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia held a combat-training operation to liberate facilities seized by mock armed criminals as part of Poisk (Search) 2017 joint tactical-special exercise at the Bagramyan range in Armenia, the Southern Military District headquarters said on Friday. "Storm squads of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force (KSOR) from the CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] member states were airdropped from [Mil] Mi-8 helicopters of the Armenian Air Force onto the grounds of the captured facilities. To block the retreating mock enemy groups, the airborne and reconnaissance troops from Belarus and Russia set up ambushes and mined possible exit routes of the 'enemy', " the Southern Military District spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Interfax on Friday. The current stage of maneuvers involved over 200 reconnaissance troops from the CSTO KSOR. The joint tactical-special reconnaissance exercise involves military commands, military reconnaissance units and special forces groups from the armed forces of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. In all, over 1,000 personnel, including more than 700 Russian troops, are taking part in the exercise led by the commander of Southern Military District troops, Col. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov Poisk 2017 maneuvers are being held as part of the single plotline of the Combat Brotherhood 2017 combat strategic exercise of the CSTO Collective Rapid Reaction Force. kk