Tajikistan will host the CIS anti-terrorism drill, dubbed Dushanbe-Anti-Terror 2017, from May 30 to June 1.

According to Tajik law enforcement authorities, the active phase of the international exercise involving military personnel, along with armored vehicles, artillery, and aviation, will take place at the training grounds of Harbmaydon and Lohour.

The main purpose of the exercise is to rehearse coordination and interaction in missions to combat terrorist groups in mountains. 

Dushanbe-Anti-Terror-2017 is the first exercise conducted by the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center with the involvement of the armed forces of the CIS member nations.  Earlier reports said that the exercises would be held in May and June in six countries (Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan), with the final stage to be held in Tajikistan.

Meanwhile Russian media outlets, citing Colonel Yaroslav Roshchupkin, an aide to the Russian Central Military District commander, report that an additional contingent of Russian personnel and aircraft will be transported to Tajikistan to take part in the anti-terror exercise.  

“The Russian military contingent will take part in the Dushanbe-Anti-Terror-2017 international exercises. Practical actions during these exercises will begin in Tajikistan on May 30.  During the maneuvers, a combined force of ground forces supported by aircraft will hone their skills in combating terrorist groups, countering illegal armed units in mountainous areas along with peacekeeping operation elements,” Roshchupkin was cited as saying by Tass.  

According to him, Russia’s 201st military base in Tajikistan will be reinforced to perform these tasks. "Mobile control points, units of long-range, military transport, tactical, army and unmanned aviation, special operation forces and airborne troops will be redeployed to the area where the drills will be held. The combined force’s actions will be ensured by military engineers, medical specialists, radiation, chemical and biological defense specialists and others,” he noted.

The CIS Anti-Terrorism Center (CIS ATC) was established by the decision of the CIS Council of the Heads of State of June 21, 2000 and is a permanent specialized institution of the CIS.  The CIS ATC provides coordination of activity of the CIS competent authorities in the sphere of combating international terrorism and other acts of extremism.

The legal status, main missions, functions, components and organizational basis of the CIS ATC activity are governed by the regulation on the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Center approved by the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of State of December 1, 2000.

The Council of the Heads of Security Bodies and Special Services of the CIS member-states executes principal management of the Center's activity.

The CIS ATC is staffed on the coalition ground in accordance with the quota of posts envisaged by the Center's establishment.  Today the CIS ATC's team includes the representatives of the national security agencies and special services, Internal Affairs and Defense Ministries of the Commonwealth member-states.