Kazakhstan Is Strengthening Its Southern Boundaries

Kazakhstan is strengthening its southern boundaries. At a briefing on Friday Aleksander Nedopaka, head of the Chimkent garrison stationed in the South-Kazakhstan region reported that troop trains with military equipment were arriving into the southern part of the republic and certain military units were instructed to stay in barracks. In connection with American bombardments in Afghanistan Kazakh military do not exclude that combat actions might spread into territories of the states adjacent to Kazakhstan. That was why, in the opinion of Nedopaka, special "attention presently is devoted to guarding the air space. Fighter aircraft and combat helicopters which control the space in the radius of 500 km are on permanent alert."