Afghanistan’s neighbours launch joint anti-terrorism objectives

RATTLED by the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, several neighbouring countries have joined hands to kickstart joint anti-terrorism military exercises to maintain regional stability and also check the readiness of their forces.

While the Peace Mission-2021 multilateral exercise of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) member countries is being held at the Donguz training ground in the Orenburg region of South West Russia, the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member states have also announced a series of large-scale exercises on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border.

Meanwhile, in the faraway suburbs of Ulanbaatar, the annual joint Russian-Mongolian military exercise Selenga-2021 kicked off at the Doityn Am training ground yesterday.

The CSTO members – Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – announced last week that Exercise Search-2021, Echelon-2021, Interaction-2021 and Cobalt-2021 will be held according to a single plan – to jointly counter the security threats emanating from the territory of Afghanistan.

Moscow announced yesterday that the first military echelon with military equipment and servicemen of the motorised rifle unit of the Eastern Military District stationed in the Republic of Buryatia crossed the state border of Russia and Mongolia at the railway checkpoint of the village of Naushki to participate in Selenga-2021.

“The Selenga exercise is aimed at combating international terrorism. During the exercise, the military personnel of the two countries, using various tactical techniques of modern combat, eliminate mock illegal armed formations,” said the country’s defence ministry.

In total, around 1 500 servicemen from Russia and the armed forces of Mongolia will take part in the event which will continue till October 5.

Besides units and divisions of Russia’s Western Military District, military contingents of Armenia, Belarus, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, as well as a representative of the military delegation of Sri Lanka, had attended Zapad-2021.