YEKATERINBURG, August 4. /TASS/. Russian and Uzbek special operations forces reconnoitered mountainous terrain and set up ambushes in joint drills at the Termez practice range in the Surkhandarya Region in southern Uzbekistan, the press office of Russia’s Central Military District reported on Wednesday.

The drills involve about 1,500 troops from Russia and Uzbekistan. The peacekeepers and special operations forces of the Central Military District have been airlifted from the Samara Region in the Volga area by Il-76 military transport aircraft. The Russian troops will be accomplishing tasks using the armor provided by the Uzbek side.

"The units of special operations forces from the two countries conducted a 15 km march, overcoming anti-personnel obstacles, a water ditch, a destroyed wall and a tunnel. Following this, the fire teams accomplished an army tactical shooting exercise. The servicemen of the two countries conducted reconnaissance and search measures in mountainous terrain, practiced setting up ambushes along the routes of a notional enemy and fulfilled a set of firing tasks from small arms using silencers," the statement says.

In the course of troop inter-operability, special attention was paid to mountain training using mountaineering gear, the press office said.