Tajikistan hosts CSTO joint military drill

AKIPRESS.COM - A joint military drill for peacekeeping forces of six member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), dubbed Unbreakable Brotherhood 2019, is conducted in Tajikistan on October 21 - 29, RIA Novosti reports.
At the first stage, the rapid deployment forces of the Central Asian Region (CAR) of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are rehearsing interaction and coordination in conducting counter-terrorist operations on blocking and annihilating illegal armed groups. Military contingents of Tajikistan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are participating in the first stage of the exercise.
At the second stage, military contingents of Armenia and Belarus will join them. Armenian and Belarusian servicemen will arrive in Tajikistan on October 24.
During the second stage, the CSTO peacekeeping forces will rehearse interaction in carrying out peacekeeping operation on maintaining peace and stability in the CSTO area of responsibility in the Central Asian region.
Twenty combat planes and helicopters of the Russian Central Military District have already been deployed to Tajikistan for participation in the drill.
In all, the exercise that is being conducted at the Harb-Maidon training ground in the Tajik southern Khatlon province reportedly involves more than 3,000 servicemen along with armored vehicles, artillery, ground-attack aircraft and combat helicopters.