Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have held joint live-fire military exercises in southern Kyrgyzstan. The Kyrgyz Defense Ministry yesterday said the joint exercises were aimed at building military confidence and deterrence against new threats and challenges to regional security. The three-day joint drills took place in the Buzhum training camp in southern Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz and Tajik troops practiced planning a military operation to track and destroy illegal armed units. Further joint drills are planned in Tajikistan in August or September and will include troops from Kazakhstan.