The Peaceful Mission 2007 exercises held under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have completed successfully in full accordance with the plan, a REGNUM correspondent reports from the scene.
As Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Gen. Alexander Belousov (Russia) announced after the exercises, the mission was extremely complicated. “What you have seen is only the top of the iceberg,” he told reporters. “All types of Defense Ministry forces were engaged in the exercises, as well as Interior Ministry troops and units from the penitentiary troops.” Overall, the general assessed the exercises as a success; but only when the troops are back to their quarters, one can say they are completed.
Under the scenario, first, the military units of the A state localized activity of militant and terror groups, isolated the area of their activity, ruled out a possibility of new militants penetrating into the territory or supplying weapons to them. After that, the SCO armed forces found and eliminated bases of the militants, their arms depots. The collective group of forces divided key forces of the militants and blocked certain groups of terrorists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov, Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Uzbek President Islam Karimov observed the maneuvers.
The SCO anti-terror Peaceful Mission 2007 has been taking place in Chelyabinsk Region from 9 to 17 August. Six Il-76 planes, 12 Mi-8 and 12 Mi-24 helicopters, as well as eight Su-25 attack planes will be participating in the exercises from Russia. Overall, 6,500 people are taking part in the exercises.
Gen. Alexander Belousov and Maneuvers Deputy Commander (Russia) Igor Konashenkov
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