DUSHANBE – Russia and Tajikistan on Tuesday began joint military exercisesnear the Tajik-Afghan border to prepare to ward off potential Talibanattacks.

More than 10,000 troops, mostly Tajik reservists, will take part in thefirst such drills in the area by the ex-Soviet allies, Tajikistan´s defenceministry said.

Combined forces will practice “eliminating terrorists who broke through”from Afghanistan in an imagined incursion, it said.

Some 400 soldiers and 80 pieces of Russian military equipment were deployedfrom a military base in Tajikistan for exercises due to last until Friday,the Russian army said.

The drills will take place just over the border from the Afghan province ofBadakhshan.

Russia and Tajikistan have intensified military cooperation since US-ledforces began withdrawing from Afghanistan in large numbers in 2014.

This is the first time they have held exercises in the sometimes restiveTajik province of Gorno-Badakhshan, where clashes between government andrebel forces took place in 2012.

Previous exercises were held in the country´s southern Khatlon province.

China has beefed up its security assistance in the country in recent times,notably building infrastructure on the 1,300-kilometre (800-mile) borderbetween Tajikistan and Afghanistan and holding its own drills withTajikistan in 2016.

The border is a haven for drug traffickers and was guarded by Russiantroops before they stepped back in 2005. Afghanistan is the world´s biggestopium producer.