DUSHANBE, March 16, 2015, Asia-Plus — On completion of a large-scale anti-terror drill that was conducted in the southern province of Khatlon on March 11-14, the Defense Minister Sherali Mirzo has promoted heads of a number of Khatlon’s districts to the next reserve officer ranks, Faridoun Mahmadaliyev, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense (MoD), told Asia-Plus today.
According to him, the minister has also promoted a number of officers and soldiers for active participation in the drill.
“During this year, similar military exercises will be conducted in garrisons of Khorog (Gorno Badakhshan), Sughd and districts subordinate to the center as well,” Mahmadaliyev said.
We will recall that the purpose of the Khatlon military exercise that involved more than 30,000 people, including soldiers, reservists, local police, and civilian support services, was to rehearse organization of a territorial defense and mobilization of reserve officers and soldiers.
The exercise scenario was based on armed formations of international terrorist organizations violating the Afghan-Tajik border and crossing into Tajik territory. The exercise participants reportedly rehearsed coordination and interaction in combat missions to annihilate armed groups of international terrorists penetrating into the country.
Tajik Defense Minister, Lieutenant-General Sherali Mirzo, was in overall command of the Khatlon war game.
