Tashkent. June 24. INTERFAX - In two military districts of the Ministry of Defense of Uzbekistan, classes on putting troops on combat readiness have begun against the background of the escalation of the situation in neighboring Afghanistan, the press service of the ministry said on Thursday.
According to her, under the leadership of the Minister of Defense of Uzbekistan Bahodir Kurbanov, sudden inspections are being carried out in the Tashkent and South-Western special military districts, as well as in military units and departments of the air defense forces and the air force.
"The readiness of personnel and military equipment will be checked," the report says.
In addition, battalion-tactical exercises will be held at combined-arms training grounds.
Earlier on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the republic reported that on the eve of the border with Uzbekistan in the area of the Shortepa county, 53 Afghan soldiers and militias with weapons crossed the border with Uzbekistan. After conducting the procedures of inquiry and investigative actions, the Afghan citizens were returned to their homeland.
"Any attempts to illegally cross into the Uzbek territory will be severely suppressed, the strictest measures will be taken against violators of the state border," the message said.
Earlier, it was also reported about the transfer of more than 130 soldiers of the Afghan government troops to the territory of Tajikistan.
Last week, militants of the Taliban movement banned in Russia seized seven districts of Afghanistan, including border areas. The Taliban also seized a customs checkpoint on the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan and took control of the central highway leading to Tajikistan. During a fierce battle for this checkpoint, the Afghan government forces could not withstand the onslaught of the enemy and retreated to Tajik territory.
