Russia says it has deployed Mi-24P attack helicopters to reinforce Russia's military base in Tajikistan.
The Russian Defense Ministry said on October 7 that along with the attack helicopters, Mi-8MTV transport-combat helicopters had been sent to the Aini Airport in Tajikistan’s Hisor district, 30 kilometers from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.
The exact number of aircraft deployed was not mentioned.
The announcement comes one day after Tajik President Emomali Rahmon told Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi that he had "concerns" about reports of increased activity by armed Islamist groups in the Afghan regions bordering Tajikistan.
Some 7,000 Russian troops are stationed in Tajikistan under the jurisdiction of the 201st base, which is Moscow's largest nonnaval military facility outside of Russia.