DUSHANBE, June 14, 2012, Asia-Plus — The final phase of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) joint counterterrorism military exercise is being launched in the Tajik northern Sughd province today.
Five of the six countries in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) launched a joint counterterrorism military exercise in Khujand, Tajikistan on June 9. Uzbekistan, the sixth member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, has declined to send any troops to participate in the exercises in Tajikistan.
Troops from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan have been involved in the drills, which have been dubbed Peace Mission-2012.
The exercise includes simulated combat maneuvers in both mountainous and desert terrain and a special combat operation against illegal militant groups.
Commander of Land Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Tajikistan, Major-General Emomali Sobirov, is in overall command of the drills.
The complete exercise involving more than 2000 military personnel, along with 300 armored vehicles, artillery, air-defense batteries, and 50 ground-support aircraft is closing today with a final phase at the Chorukh-Dairon training ground featuring live-fire missions with ground-attack aircraft and combat helicopters.
President Emomali Rahmon and defense ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan are expected to observe the final phase of the joint counterterrorism military exercise.
It is the ninth joint exercise of its kind since the SCO was founded in 1996.
