Russia, Central Asian allies hold drills near Afghanistan

The troops from Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have wrapped up military drills intended to simulate a joint response to potential security threats coming from Afghanistan

MOSCOW -- The troops from Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on Tuesday wrapped up their drills intended to simulate a joint response to potential security threats coming from Afghanistan. The war games that began last week involved 2,500 Russian, Tajik and Uzbek troops and about 500 military vehicles. The drills, which were held at Harb-Maidon firing range about 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) north of the Tajik border with Afghanistan, saw the troops practice action against invading militants. As part of the exercise, Russian Su-25 attack jets struck mock targets imitating militant vehicles. The Russian military said the maneuvers took place “against the background of the destabilization of the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, in order to work out the issues of repelling possible threats and practical interaction to ensure security and maintain stability in the Central Asian region.”