SCO countries hold first joint live anti-terror drills with all member states

SCO holds first joint anti-terrorism drill in China, focusing on live drills and specialized operations for eradication of terrorist groups.

Security officials from the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held the first joint anti-terrorism drill in China focussing on live drills and specialised operations such as “the eradication of terrorist groups.” The ‘Interaction-2024’ joint counter-terrorism exercises were held recently in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China's Ministry of Public Security said.

“The exercise marks the first time the relevant agencies from all SCO member states have participated in a joint counter-terrorism live drill,” the state-run Xinhua news agency reported on July 23.

Since terrorist threats often spill over to other countries and flow around the globe, the latest large-scale SCO exercise was held to enhance the member states' capabilities and interoperability in joint anti-terrorism operations, Global Times report said.

The latest exercise has established a new model for joint live drills by relevant agencies and enhanced the joint operational capabilities of the SCO member states' authorities, the Ministry of Public Security said, adding, in response to significant terrorist threats, the exercise included specialized operations such as “the eradication of terrorist groups.” Photos released by the state-run media showed that soldiers and police officers fully armed with assault rifles, pistols, and riot shields launching an assault – some via armoured and all-terrain vehicles and some via helicopter with aerial drones and robot dogs – also deployed in the exercise.

Representatives from SCO member states, the SCO Secretariat, and the Executive Committee of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure observed the exercise.

The Beijing-based SCO has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations focussing on deepening security-related cooperation with its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS), which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence.

Earlier this month, Belarus became the 10th official member state of the SCO that already has China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.