EDELVEIS PRACTICE RANGE (Kyrgyzstan), October 7. /TASS/. Troops from the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) routed a large formation of notional militants in the Toguz-Bulak gorge at the final stage of the Rubezh-2016 drills in Kyrgyzstan, spokesman for Russia’s Central Military District Yaroslav Roshchupkin said on Friday.

"Observers of Strelets reconnaissance systems reported coordinates of the militants’ training camp from commanding heights to destroy them by fire. After missile, bomb and artillery strikes, mountain riflemen blocked the ways of the militants’ retreat from the encircled area in interaction with special units of the interior ministries and with the fire support of tanks, Tigr armored vehicles and mortar teams," Roshchupkin said.

The Rubezh-2016 drills have been held on October 4-7, involving over a thousand troops from Russia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, about 200 items of military hardware and around 20 aircraft and helicopters.

Russian strategic bombers also took part in the maneuvers. The exercises were observed by the military attaches from the United States, China and India.