SCO troops launch first live firing drill
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Troops from five Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries launched the first live firing drill Friday in the southern Kazakh training ground.
The live firing, which is also the third joint training of the "Peace Mission 2010" anti-terror exercise, started in the morning and involved tanks, armoured vehicles, fighter planes, bombers, rockets and anti-aircraft missiles.
During the more than one-hour drill, participating forces conducted three operations -- fire preparations and breakthroughs, raiding "enemies" hiding in residential areas, and putting reserve forces into battle.
In the evening, participating forces from the five countries also carried out a joint drilling on raiding "enemy bases."
The joint drill command said that the Friday joint training met the anticipated goal and coordination among the participating forces had been improved.
"Peace Mission 2010", the seventh joint drill of its kind under the framework of the SCO, involves 5,000 troops from five of the six SCO member states -- China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan -- from Sept. 9 to 25. Uzbekistan is not taking part.
