More than 1 000 soldiers from Russia, China and Central Asia have arrived in Tajikistan for three days of joint military exercises, the country’s defence ministry said on Friday.
The war games are being held under the auspices of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional group dominated by Moscow and Beijing that has raised concern in the West about becoming a possible counterweight to Nato.
”These exercises are aimed at perfecting the coordination of our countries in different anti-terrorism operations and preparing for the fight against international terror,” ministry spokesperson Faridun Makhmadaliev told AFP.
The main event — a joint military exercise including attack helicopters, fighter jets and armoured vehicles — will take place on Saturday at the Fakhrabad military base south of the capital Dushanbe.
The exercises come as Moscow looks to reassert itself in central Asia after losing its grip over what it considers its traditional sphere of influence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The former Soviet republic of Tajikistan borders Afghanistan, where Western forces have been struggling to put down a Taliban insurgency and eliminate Al-Qaeda hideouts. — Sapa-AFP