Chinese troops arrive in Russia on anti-terrorism exercise

Moscow, July 31 (UNI) Six Il-76 transport aircraft landed today in Russia with 287 servicemen of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and military hardware to participate in the first-ever anti-terrorism manoeuvres under the ''Peace Mission 2007'', within the frame-work of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

The exercise will be held on August 9-17, in the Chelyabinsk region of the Urals in which about 5,000 servicemen from Russia,Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Uzbekistan will participate, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The Chinese troops will be deployed at the staging area in four trains on August 2-3.

The SCO has never before held a full-scale military exercise involving all its member states.

Russia and China have already held several joint military exercises within the framework of the organization, including the ''Peace Mission 2005''.

During the exercise, Russia and China will deploy 36 and 46 aircrafts, respectively. Both countries will contribute six Il-76 military transports each to perform simulated airborne assaults.

UNI