September 21, 2023
The State Committee of National Security with the support of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center and Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of Shanghai Cooperation Organization conducted a final stage (with use of force) of the anti-terrorism drills of the competent authorities of the CIS and SCO member-states “Eurasia-Antiterror - 2023” in the Kyrgyz Republic on September 21, 2023.
For the first time ever, the drills were carried out within the framework of cooperation of two international organizations and envisaged simultaneous exercise of individual training tasks unified by a joint concept and situation as well as by the place and time of their conduct.
The drills were aimed to:
improve activity of the competent authorities of the CIS and SCO member-states during coordinated operational-search operations aimed to identify and suppress terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure facilities and crowded places;
exchange best practices of operational-combat operations aimed to release hostages and neutralize terrorists in the critical infrastructure facilities and crowded places;
build an advanced efficient model of cooperation of the CIS ATC and SCO RATS EC, practically implement mechanisms of information exchange to assist the CIS and SCO competent authorities during coordinated operations aimed to identify and suppress terrorist attacks in preparation.
The drills were attended by the competent authorities of 11 states of the CIS and SCO, including Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Republic of India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Kyrgyz Republic, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan.
The first stages of the drills took place from 1 July to 1 August and from 12 to 14 September with participation of the competent authorities of the SCO and CIS member-states. The first stages included mastering of identification and apprehension of simulated terrorist groups which planned to commit terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure facilities and crowded places in the national territories and use of collective information systems for that purpose. Information exchange on the simulated terrorists between the CIS ATC coordination HQ and SCO RATS Executive Committee was successfully implemented.
During the second stage of the “Eurasia-Antiterror - 2023” drills the forces of the State Committee of National Security, Ministry of Interior and Sentence-Execution Service at the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic carried out a counter-terrorist operation aimed to release hostages and neutralize terrorists on three facilities (TPS gas station, transport facility and correctional facility of Bishkek).
The counter-terrorist operation planning and management work of the republican operational headquarters was demonstrated. The EMERCOM units carried out post-attack recovery and mitigation measures.
The maneuvers have demonstrated efficient use of forces and means by the competent authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic, cohesiveness of the units of the ministries and agencies which took part in resolving a crisis situation.
In conclusion of the drills the heads of delegations have noted that their conduct became an important step toward integrating efforts and strengthening anti-terrorism capacities of the CIS and SCO member-states
