ALMATY -- China and Kazakhstan on Thursday launched the first phase of a joint anti-terrorism drill in Kazakhstan's eastern Almaty region.

The drill, codenamed "Tianshan-I(2006)," is conducted by law enforcement bodies and special services of the two countries.

The three-day drill will be held in Kazakhstan's Almaty region and the western Chinese city of Yining in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

It would be the first ever joint anti-terrorism exercise between the two countries' law enforcement bodies and special forces within the framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

According to China's Ministry of Public Security, the exercise was aimed at implementing the consensus on enhancing security cooperation among SCO member states reached at the SCO summit in June, and to improve coordination between their law enforcement departments and special services.

The drill, the third of its kind conducted within the SCO framework, will be witnessed by observers from the SCO member states and other countries, the ministry said.

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan that make up the SCO announced in April that the SCO would also hold joint anti-terrorism drills in 2007.