MINSK, August 13 (RIA Novosti) – The security services of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will conduct joint counter-terrorism drills starting Thursday, the Belarusian State Security Agency (SSA) press service announced Wednesday.
“In accordance with the 2014-2016 CIS member-state relations development program in counter-terrorism other extremist manifestations, Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan will hold the joint ‘Jetysu-Antiterror 2014’ exercise within their borders in August-September 2014,” the SSA press release said.
Belarus’ SSA and State Border Committee will be assisted by specialists from Russian state-run nuclear agency Rosatom. Together, they will practice investigative techniques and other operations to counter the threat of terrorists attempting to transfer radioactive materials through Belarusian borders, the SSA press service said.
Following the Belarusian stage of the drills, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is to continue practicing the identification and arrest of “terrorists” and their “associates.” The Kazakh special services are then scheduled to do the same.
Belarus’s SSA stressed that the joint drills are designed to improve interaction between CIS member states’ security services to counter real terrorist threats.
