Some 70 US and Italian soldiers landed in Tajikistan late on Sunday to set up bases for the anti-terrorist coalition at several of the country's airports, a military official said on Monday. The bases will be set up at airports in Dushanbe and Kulyab, a city located some 100 km north of the Tajik border with Afghanistan.
Tajikistan supports the US-led offensive in Afghanistan and opened its airspace to the anti-terrorist coalition following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Last month Dushanbe formally authorised the presence of foreign troops on its soil.
The official also confirmed the presence of a small group of French soldiers in Kulyab, although he could not specify their exact number. The soldiers were planning to set up installations for a larger contingent, he said.
Tajikistan agreed last month to host up to 300 French servicemen and several military planes.
Since October 7, the US has been carrying out a military operation against the Afghan Taliban Islamist militia, which it accuses of harbouring alleged terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden.
Bureau Report