A joint anti-terrorist exercise of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) member-countries' armed forces began in Kazakhstan on Monday. It is codenamed Rubezh-2004 (Frontier-2004).

For the first time ever the entire complex of anti-terrorist operations by CSTO military structures "from the emergence of a threat of a terrorist attack against the territories of Central Asian countries to the full elimination of penetrated groups" will be practiced, a source at the Russian Defense Ministry told Tass on Monday.

Under the scenario of the exercise international terrorist organizations are out to gain control of the Fergana valley and the adjacent regions of some Central Asian with the aim to establish a radical Islamic state. The armed forces of the countries involved are expected to provide an adequate response.

The maneuvers will consist of two phases.

In the first phase, to be held in Kazakhstan on August 2-4 the participants will practice the adoption of documents needed to launch a counter-terrorist operation in the territory of one of the CSTO member-countries.

"This procedure will be practiced within the framework of a CSTO multinational military exercise for the first time," the source said. "The officers of the Joint CSTO Staff and the general staffs of the CSTO countries in particular, will practice an algorithm of preparation of documents crucial to holding a joint operation to localize and destroy illegal armed formations in Central Asia."

In the second phase, to be held in Kyrgyzstan on August 4-6, the Collective Rapid Deployment Forces Command will set tasks to military units and practice control of combat operations against illegal armed formations.

About 2,000 servicemen from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, 25 planes and helicopters, ground troops and commando units will participate.

President Askar Akayev of Kyrgyzstan, the defense ministers of the CSTO countries, representatives of the general staffs and working bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will observe the exercises, the source said.

Source: Itar-Tass